Aviation giants Boeing and Airbus have proposed increasing their monthly production to 100 units, using advanced thermoplastics, lighter and recyclable materials, as well as robotic assembly techniques to replace traditional aluminum components, as reported by Reuters.
This initiative is designed to reduce costs and fuel consumption, as well as environmental impact, addressing current supply chain obstacles and opening a new chapter in the history of aerospace engineering.
While aluminum has been the predominant material in commercial aircraft construction for many years, the need to respond to the climate crisis has led these companies to opt for carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics, or CFRP for short, which offer the advantage of significantly reducing the weight of aircraft, contributing to greater economic efficiency in flights.
Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft, traditionally manufactured mainly with aluminum, are giving way to the use of composite materials. These latter materials already play a crucial role in models such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 due to their potential to lighten the structure of aircraft and optimize fuel consumption.
Despite notable advances in materials and production methods, neither Airbus nor Boeing has confirmed immediate plans to launch new aircraft models, which is partly due to recent supply chain problems and Boeing’s economic difficulties. However, these progress suggest that the commercial aviation industry is on the threshold of an unprecedented revolution.
image credits for this post: Deultimominuto.net
