CFRP Application in Aerospace

Contents

CFRP Contributes to Weight Reduction
- What is Carbon? Delving into CFRPs
The Need for Quality Management System Certification
- What is JIS Q 9100?
Aerospace Domain Requisites
- At Launch and in Outer Space
Quality Management
- Are Repairs Impossible?
Uchida’s Strengths

CFRP Contributes to Weight Reduction

What is Carbon? Delving into CFRPs

The distinctive “lightweight, strong, and non-corrosive” characteristics of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) has made it one of the most progressive and promising materials today, leading to vast application in diverse fields. This article explores CFRP application in field where weight reduction is pivotal to enabling “flying objects”—aerospace.

The Need for Quality Management System Certification

What is JIS Q 9100?

JIS Q 9100 is a quality management system based on the ISO 9001 standards with additional aviation, aerospace, and defense industry-specific requisites for entities that design, develop, or provide products or services in these fields. Put simply, it is a “must-have” certification for any regular commercial entity seeking to enter and provide products or services that consistently satisfies regulatory and user requirements in the aviation, aerospace, and defense industry.

Japanese Aerospace Quality Group

Aerospace Domain Requisites

At Launch and in Outer Space

The key requirements in the aerospace domain can be broadly classified into launch and outer space operations. As the expense and capacity of a rocket launch hinges on its weight and size, it is paramount to minimize these two factors. A rocket also necessitates a strong robust structure that can withstand the tremendous vibrations of a launch. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is thus employed for its light weight, superb strength, and anisotropic properties that offer impressive design freedom and versatility required for aerospace application.

Once the rocket reaches the gravity-free atmosphere of space, its mass weight no longer has any affect. However, in the vacuum of outer space, not only is the cooling action of air is redundant but rockets also encounter extreme temperature differences of 200–300℃ between the side facing the sun and the rear side. Solar battery panels constructed using a low-thermal expansion carbon fiber reinforced plastic are thus employed to mitigate these conditions.

Quality Management

Are Repairs Impossible?

As illustrated above, despite the varying requisites, CFRP is employed for launch and in outer space conditions. Once a rocket enters space, it cannot be modified or repaired. And the cost and time to rebuild and re-launch a rocket is exorbitant. Moreover, in aerospace, many of the components are difficult to handle given the environment and satellite equipment, meaning a significantly high level of quality control is required. Thus, all processes involved across the entire manufacturing process must be fully traceable. As many of the fabrication processes for CFRP and carbon are performed by hand, training of technicians is among the highest of priorities.

Uchida’s Strengths

In 2007, we acquired the JIS Q 9100 certification for the Aerospace Division and have since been expanding our track record in the aviation, aerospace, and defense domain. As an SME, our strengths lie in versatility and adaptability, affording us a unique advantage over larger companies. Leveraging these strengths has given rise to our diverse successes that span from prototyping to final delivery. We house an expansive clean room with hygiene controls and other facilities and systems that satisfy the specific quality control requirements for the aerospace field.

ABOUT UCHIDA - 55 years since our founding

We leverage a wealth of technical expertise as a CFRP molding and processing manufacturer using FRP, GFRP, and CFRP materials. We offer a one-stop solution, encompassing design, analysis, manufacturing, secondary processing, assembly, painting, quality assurance, and testing.

See Details

UCHIDA's equipment

We have cutting-edge equipment to ensure that we can address even the most advanced challenges of our customers.

DMG森精機 - VS1000/40/2050
X軸：2,050mm（ストローク）／ Y軸：1,000mm ／ Z軸：600mm ／テーブル作業面：2,250×1,000mm

ASHIDA MFG Co., Ltd.
Autoclave Oven 2
Size : Ø1,150x1,000mm / Operating temperature : at normal temperature - 400℃ / Design pressure : 2.0Mpa (maximum working pressure) / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 5

ASHIDA MFG Co., Ltd.
Autoclave Oven 3
Size : Ø3,000x6,000mm / Operating temperature : at normal temperature - 200℃ / Distribution accuracy : ±2.5℃less / Heating rate : 4.0℃/min. (empty furnace) / Cooling rate : 4.0℃/min. (empty furnace) / Design pressure : 0.99Mpa (maximum working pressure) / Working pressure : 0.7Mpa less (if no specification from the manufacuturer 0.3Mpa around) / Pressure accuracy : ±0.02Mpa（for pressure setting of ０ - 0.99Mpa/cm²） / Boost pressure accuracy : 0 - 0.03Mpa/min / Pressure source : compressed air (regular use) / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Oven
Size : W1,000xH1,000xD1,000mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 300℃ / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature (20 - 40℃) - 300℃ / 45min less / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

ESPEC CORP.
Temperature & Humidity Chamber

INSTRON
Static Universal Testing Machine 5985

Oven
Size : W7,000xH3,000xD2,000mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 300℃ (Max) / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature (20 - 40℃) - 300℃ / 60min less / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

NEO
X axis : 4,000mm (stroke) / Y axis : 2,000mm / Z axis : 1,200mm / C axis : 0° - ±270° / B axis : 0° - ±110° / Table working place : 4,000x2,000mm

【開発】
3Dプリンター | Markforged

Painting booth
Various painting, and clear finish is done in dedicated painting booth

Adhesion, Finishing, Coating Room
Finishing process, such as trimming, drilling, and bonding, surface treatment of the molded product type and is done in a private booth

Toshiba Matrixeye EX (Ultrasonic flaw detector)
Matrix-Arrey : 32

AMETEK CREAFORM Metra
SCAN750 Elite (3D scan)

Olympus Corp.
Inverted Microscopes

Oven
Size : W450xH450xD450mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 650℃ / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature+50 - 650℃/120min less

Cutting Plotter Table working place : W1,500xL3,500mm

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD
Cutting Plotter

KUKA
Robot

Krauss Maffei
Epoxy resin injection machine Resin 60L ／ Hardener 25L

Krauss Maffei
630t Press machine Height total 5,200mm ／ Length max 1,500mm ／ Width max 1,200mm ／ Whole cycle time per component part 240sec

DMG森精機 - NV5000B/40
X軸：1,020mm（ストローク）／ Y軸：510mm ／ Z軸：510mm ／テーブル作業面：1,320×600mm

Big sized clean room
JIS B 9920 cleanliness class maximum concentration (Pcs/m³） / Class 5 : 100,000m³ / Capacity : m² (16,000x16,000mm) 760m² (16,000x16,000x3,000mm) / Temperature and humidity condition : Temperature : 23℃±3℃, Humidity 65% less / Ambient conditions : Temperature 35℃ during summer, Humidity 70% less / Ambient conditions : Temperature 35℃ during summer, Humidity 70% less / Temperature -5℃ during winter, Humidity 40% less