ECO-CLIP Project

Eco-friendly frame clips and system brackets for a fuselage demonstrator

ECO-CLIP project aims to demonstrate the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of manufacturing high added-value structural aircraft parts (frame clips and system brackets) using recycled CF/LMPAEK obtained from factory waste. This is a CS2 funded project, initiated as part of the CS2 funded project STUNNING WP2.1.5 of LPA led by GKN-Fokker.

ECO-CLIP project will contribute to the CS2 objectives with an in-depth study of the behaviour of new CF/LMPAEK recycled composites, the definition of a manufacturing process with reduced energy consumption and the validation of the proposed methodology from an environmental and economical point of view. ECO-CLIP will also demonstrate the feasibility for the industrial implementation of the proposed materials and the associated recycling and manufacturing technologies.

In ECO-CLIP, frame clips and system brackets will be manufactured by injection moulding, a “ready to assemble” process, and new technologies and approaches for primary tooling production (3D printed customised and modular plastic and metallic moulds) will be used.

Moreover, instead of riveting and the use of fasteners, in ECO-CLIP ultrasonic welding will be employed as joining process in order to join the clips and brackets to the rest of the structure avoiding the use of fasteners and rivets.

ECO-CLIP will contribute to the aerospace industry with the benefits of thermoplastic composites used for lower half of MFFD (Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator) development in Clean Sky Programme.

Courtesy of GKN-Fokker