FRONTIERS PHOTONICS


LASER WELDING


Joining complex composites cuts drag on aircraft components


L


aser welding has been used to develop and manufacture a new type of


lightweight Krueger flap for the front of aircraft wings to offer increased laminar flow control. Laminar flow refers to how


air travels above and below an aircraft wing. The friction of the air against the wing (drag) determines this flow, and engineers look to reduce this as much as possible. Drag can both hinder flight performance as well as increase carbon emissions. Krueger flaps offer increased


control of laminar flow and function as a ‘deflector’ while in the extended position, deflecting insects away from the wing that could compromise laminar flow. The consortium partners


of the EU-funded SWING project, which took place


between October 2019 and September 2022, have designed a new type of Krueger flap using lightweight, recyclable composite materials. The new design features


a complex geometry that the partners produce by laser welding a thin thermoplastic composite prepreg tape. A robot with a laser head was used to consolidate the part in situ, which both avoids additional processes and offers greater reliability, repeatability and improves the overall quality of the part. The new design and optimised manufacturing method – in which the raw material laying speed has been increased – is expected to reduce the cost of fabricating Krueger flaps compared with current industrial manufacturing methods.


AEROSPACE/DEFENCE


Laser welding parts in situ can cut the cost of lightweight wing flaps “The objective of the project


was to validate its [the new design’s] industrial feasibility, meaning its manufacturability, and we have reached the required level of technology maturity,” said Christophe Cornu, research project manager at Cetim Nantes and SWING project coordinator. “The main advantage of thermoplastic polymer materials is their recyclability compared to other materials. Also, the processing


of thermoplastic materials requires fewer additional operations and therefore costs could decrease in the future when the technology is fully developed.” The part has currently


reached technology readiness level 4 (TRL 4), with the wing design and manufacturing process now being put through functional tests on the ground in order to validate them over the next few years. l


LASER GUIDANCE


Rocket kits take on anti-drone role


I


n March, the United States Department of Defense was able to redirect drones


travelling at more than 100kph using laser guidance technology from BAE Systems. BAE System’s APKWS kit


transforms unguided rockets into smart munitions for precision strikes on soft and lightly armoured targets. During the Department of Defense-led exercise in Arizona, the 70mm APKWS-guided rockets demonstrated 100% effectiveness when fired against 25-50lb (11-22kg) drones travelling at more than 160kph. APKWS laser-guidance kits


are produced at BAE Systems’ manufacturing facility in New Hampshire. The kits include advanced Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) optics located on all four guidance wings, which


are protected by wing-slot seals prior to firing, avoiding adjacent fire damage that can interfere with a nose mount seeker. Once the rocket is fired, the APKWS kit’s wings deploy and the optics lock on to designated targets, guiding the rocket to the target – delivering accurate strikes and minimising collateral damage. First put into production in 2008, the APKWS laser- guidance kit was first used to convert unguided rockets into laser-guided rockets. With continued development, the system is undergoing live fire testing from a range of unmanned combat aerial vehicles. Today’s system has also proven itself capable in air-to-air targeting of drones and low-flying cruise missiles as well as in ground-to-ground missions.


The munitions are guided by laser optics on all four guidance wings The APKWS laser rocket is


a third of the weight and cost of traditional laser-guided anti- armour munitions, meaning soldiers can load their rotary- wing or fixed-wing aircraft with more precision-strike firepower. The system even makes ground-to-ground use both more effective and affordable. “Our engineers’ passion for APKWS technology led to the


development of this new product designed to meet drones head- on,” said Aimee D’Onofrio, a director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “This is a solution that comes at a remarkably affordable price point, and with APKWS already at full-rate production, we can ramp up to 25,000 units per year to make an immediate impact.” l


50 Photonics Frontiers 2023


BAE Systems


Patty Chan/Shutterstock.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58