Project details

Project No.	POIG.01.01.02-00-015/08-00
Project title	Modern Material Technologies in Aerospace Industry
Project coordinator	Prof. Romana Ewa Śliwa D.Sc
Operational Programme	Innovative Economy
Priority	1.Research and development of modern technologies
Measure	1.1. Support of scientific research for the knowledge-based economic development
Submeasure	1.1.2. Strategic programmes of scientific research and development work
Total project budget	115 880 000,00 PLN
Applicant	Rzeszow University of Technology – the coordinator of the Centre of Advanced Technology AERONET – „Aviation Valley”
Applicant type	Academic unit
Legal form of business activity	Legal entity
Legal person or an organizational unit without legal personality	Higher education institution
Applicant’s date of registration and registration office	09.1974 – Rzeszow University of Technology, 01.2004 - the Centre of Advanced Technology AERONET – „Aviation Valley”
Applicant’s date of registration and registration office	2.01.2004r.
Project Partners	IPPT-PAN Lublin University of Technology Silesian University of Technology Warsaw University of Technology „Aviation Valley” Association Air Force Institute of Technology The Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences The Institute of Aviation The University of Rzeszow Czestochowa University of Technology Lodz University of Technology
PKD symbol	PKD - 80.3 (Rzeszow University of Technology) PKD - 73.10 (CZT AERONET)
Project aim	The aim of the key project is focusing the research work in the field of aviation on the areas which improve or will improve the competitiveness of Polish economy. The project is also of strategic importance in terms of improving employment prospects in the region as well as enhancing social, economic and territorial cohesion. The result of the project is providing the domestic aviation and aviation-related companies with innovative solutions and technologies which will have a beneficial effect on the development of the aerospace industry in Poland and in this way strengthening its competitive position on the global market. The project has also a direct impact on the growth of health and safety conditions, providing equal opportunities and reducing negative effects of technological processes on the environment. The main aim of the project complies with the main OPIE objective “Development of Polish economy based on innovative enterprises”. New advanced technologies are intended to increase the innovativeness of the aviation companies in Polish aerospace sector as well as to increase the significance of innovative Polish products on the global market. The implementation of the project results improves and will continue to improve employment prospects for highly-qualified technical staff both in R&D and production sector. Rapid improvement of state-of-the-art research equipment and research and development infrastructure makes it possible to conduct advanced research process and transfer the results to the aerospace industry. Research is conducted collectively but with the use of individual accomplishments and competences of all the consortium partners. That enables the development of innovative solutions and their implementation, upgrading research facilities and, as a result, strengthening the competitive position of Polish manufacturing companies and R&D centres. Close and unique cooperation with the industry sector enables rationalizing and better effectiveness of spending the public funding for R&D activities.
Project description	The project is a follow-up to the four-year measures undertaken by the Centre of Advanced Technologies "AERONET – Aviation Valley" (CAT AERONET) both in Poland and abroad, aimed at increasing the effectiveness and quality of research and development work for the aerospace sector. The project covers tasks, which were based at the preliminary stage, on the needs indicated by the Polish aerospace industry as well as the industrial sector, and they were determined through: CAT AERONET expert meetings, work on formulating the CAT AERONET research programme, work on building the Polish Aerospace Research Programme as part of the Polish Aerospace Technology Platform. The project is also a response to the results of the Foresight research project in aviation entitled “Modern material technologies for the Aviation Valley industrial cluster”. An important factor which enables the realization of the research tasks is the fact that Rzeszow University of Technology has one of Europe’s most advanced aerospace materials research laboratories. Projekt realizowany jest w ramach konsorcjum CZT AERONET, działającego na podstawie umowy podpisanej w dniu 22 stycznia 2004 r. The project is conducted within the frames of CAT AERONET consortium, founded on 22 January 2004. The project consortium consists of 11 academic units and the Aviation Valley Association (Polish acronym SGPPL), which represents the industrial sector. There are fifteen main research tasks realized within the project aimed at the most advanced and rapidly developing area of materials engineering, surface engineering and cutting edge manufacturing technologies in the aerospace industry. The segments of the project include: W ramach projektu realizowanych jest 15 głównych zadań badawczych, nakierowanych na najbardziej zaawansowane i dynamicznie rozwijające się dziedziny współczesnych procesów inżynierii materiałowej, inżynierii powierzchni oraz nowoczesnych technik wytwarzania w przemyśle lotniczym. Do segmentów projektu należą: RT1. Development of advanced processes of HSM of almost unworkable aeronautical alloys. RT2. Modelling, construction and control of the HSM process taking into consideration the configured machine-instrument-detail system. RT3. Development of the technology of effective design and production of cone gear using Gleason Phoenix system. RT4. Development of a new, simpler and cheaper toothed gear in place of complicated and expensive planetary gears. RT5. Modern mechanical working of magnesium and aluminium alloys. RT6. Composite materials of increased strength and thermal resistance with the use of polymeric resins applied in aviation. RT7. Plastic forming of magnesium alloys (precision forging, stamping, extrusion and the like). RT8. Plastic forming of aerospace Al (including Al-Li) and Ti alloys. RT9. Composite metallic materials in aviation applications (including Glare-type materials). RT10. Modern barrier coatings on critical engine parts. RT11. Aerospace materials of advanced structure (monocrystal, directional crystallization). RT12. Precision casting of Ni alloys on critical parts of aircraft engines. RT13.Development of the technology of remelting Nikel alloys with the use of nanopowder modifications. RT14. Smart embedded systems based on intelligent materials. RT15. Unconventional technologies of joining elements of aeronautical constructions. The developed programs and teams of experts guarantee that every single research task is conducted effectively and completed on time. Additionally, given the complexity of the tasks, individual research teams developed Detailed Research Plans, which were later checked and analyzed on a yearly basis. All the analyses are aimed at adjusting the ideas and solutions to the changing demands of the aviation sector but also general technological developments and social and economical conditions. The aim of the project is consistent with the main objective of the Operational Programme – Innovative Economy as well as the objectives of submeasure 1.1.2. The strategic aim is focusing the research work in the field of aviation on the areas which improve or will improve the competitiveness of Polish economy and knowledge-based economic development.
Project justification	Taking into consideration the present-day state of knowledge both in Poland and in the world, the needs indicated by the aerospace industry prove the necessity of developing specific tasks in terms of materials and technologies applied in that sector. Based on a thorough analysis of the needs and the present-day state of knowledge of the individual research areas, the project technological solutions guarantee full feasibility of the research tasks. These solutions are consistent with the best available standards and they are characterized by optimal technology, price and quality efficiency. The project is based on the targeted, development and investment projects recently completed by the consortium members. What is more, mutual cooperation within one single project along with an efficient flow of information will ensure that the effect of synergy is fully exploited. Consequently, it will have a measurable impact on the cost-effectiveness of the project and will guarantee a high level of implementation of research results all over Poland. The feedback coming directly from the aviation and aviation-related companies and their engagement in project preparation, among other things, letters of intent annexed to the application, prove that the project implementation has been long awaited by the Polish aerospace sector. Mobilization of Polish research and development potential in the aerospace industry will be a trailblazing experience and it will bring tremendous opportunity for the whole industry.
Impact of the project on the realization of EU horizontal policies mentioned in Article 16 and 17 of the Council Regulation No 1083/2006	The project has a beneficial effect on the realization of the EU policy objectives in the fields of equal opportunities and non-discrimination. Justification: Undoubtedly, the aviation sector is characterized by male domination. In spite of that characteristic feature, the project in question guarantees full use of the so called “human resources” available both at academic level and in the aerospace industry, with special attention paid to female engineers and contractors. The whole project is coordinated by Prof. Romana Ewa Sliwa, D.Sc, which, to a large extent, guarantees equal opportunities for men and women and equal treatment regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability and age The project has a beneficial effect on the realization of sustainable development policy. Justification: Modern material technologies (mostly applied in aviation) are intended to avoid negative impact on the environment by implementation of technological solutions which are at least environmentally-neutral. Realization of the research tasks within the project segments does not have any negative effect on the environment. Researchers are developing new materials in that field as well as new methods of management and disposal of waste. The ideas are supported by the Best Available Techniques (BAT) recommended in that field, with special attention paid to the latest achievements in that sector. Research work is conducted in accordance with the existing EU legislation. The project is not correlated with any environmental issues and its realization will have no environmental impact whatsoever.
Project schedule	Scheduled launch date - 01.07.2008. Scheduled completion date - 31.12.2015