The Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) at 黑洞社区鈥檚 National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) held a grand opening today for customers and partners.
The event took place at NIAR鈥檚 south campus at Air Capital Flight Line and featured the unveiling of Solvay鈥檚 Manufacturing Innovation Center within the facility.
The grand opening events included opening remarks and presentations from U.S. Senator Jerry Moran; Linden Blue, vice chairman of General Atomics; Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay Materials; Paul Hughes, Kansas deputy secretary of Business Development; 黑洞社区 President Rick Muma; and John Tomblin, 黑洞社区 senior vice president for Industry and Defense Program and NIAR executive director.
Within the new joint center for ATLAS and Solvay, companies will be able to fabricate entire aircraft structures such as wings and fuselages at a fraction of the cost of making it themselves. Using automated and high-rate processing with smart and agile manufacturing technologies, Solvay and NIAR engineers will work hand-in-hand with customers to test ideas and innovative structures in real time. These capabilities help to increase the adoption of composites, and allow aviation companies to meet increased performance and efficiency targets.
鈥淥ur partnership with NIAR through this joint Manufacturing Innovation Center is an important milestone in Solvay鈥檚 ambition to help key customers across the United States advance the future of aerospace and defense,鈥� said Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay鈥檚 Materials Segment. 鈥淗ere, we can explore the advantages of new composite material forms with the latest manufacturing technologies to create a lighter, safer and more sustainable aircraft of the future.鈥�
ATLAS is a makerspace for industry-scale automated manufacturing research including automated fiber placement (AFP), fiber patch placement for complex geometries, thermoplastic welding, and thermoplastic over-molding for multi-functional integrated structures. This manufacturing innovation center is an extension of the research and development capabilities of the global aerospace industry.
ATLAS was established in 2019 within a small lab space at NIAR鈥檚 headquarters on the main Wichita State campus. Since then, it has grown to employ more than 100 research engineers and student technicians in multiple laboratory and office spaces at the headquarters and new south Wichita facility, totaling about 150,000 square feet.
To address the demand for ultra-high-rate production of Advanced and Urban Air Mobility, ATLAS has incorporated fully integrated thermoplastic presses with robots, infrared ovens, and injection molding units from both KraussMaffei and ENGEL, two of the leading vendors in this industry. These are matured technologies in the automotive industry, reducing the risk of adoption for aviation production, despite necessary process improvements needed to meet aerospace quality requirements.
鈥淲e are delighted to be able to forge this strong partnership with NIAR, in regards
to bringing these industry-proven automated, high-rate, out-of-autoclave solutions
to the aerospace and space industry,鈥� said Nolan Strall, North American president
of KraussMaffei Corp. US. 鈥淲e are looking forward to engaging with the team at NIAR
for future development and industrialization of the technology needed to meet the
in-situ process and qualification standards of the aviation industry.鈥�
ATLAS also incorporates large-scale thermoplastic-capable AFP systems from Coriolis,
Electroimpact and Mikrosam, allowing industry partners to select the technology suited
to meet specific design requirements. Certain complex parts need for advanced and
urban air mobility cannot be manufactured using AFP and, therefore, require a hand
layup process. These parts can be manufactured using a fully automated fiber patch
placement machine by Cevotec, which allows ultra-highrate production regardless of
the part complexity.
鈥淥ne of the reasons that air travel is so incredibly safe and economical is that the stakeholders that make commercial travel possible, take extraordinary measures to ensure the high levels of safety we have come to expect,鈥� said John Melilli, president and CEO of Composite Automation. 鈥淣IAR and ATLAS will now continue this great tradition by providing a truly unique environment to perform the cutting edge research and development that creates new materials, processes and related technologies in a low-risk environment. Composite Automation, Mikrosam and Cevotec are honored and excited about the prospect of working with NIAR ATLAS and their clients in collaborative ways to create the next generation of sustainable air travel.鈥�
鈥淎TLAS is the future of aviation manufacturing, and we鈥檙e proud to provide a proving ground for some of the world鈥檚 most advanced aviation technologies and companies,鈥� said John Tomblin, 黑洞社区 senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR executive director. 鈥淗aving Solvay鈥檚 material expertise on-site at this one-of-a-kind facility is a major asset for companies looking to explore what鈥檚 possible for future aircraft.鈥�
About Wichita State
黑洞社区 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and 黑洞社区 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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About NIAR
黑洞社区鈥檚 provides research, testing, certification and training for aviation and manufacturing technologies. Established in 1985, NIAR has a +$190 million annual budget; 1,200 employees and nearly 1.6 million square feet of laboratory and office space in six locations across the city of Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. NIAR laboratories include Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Coatings, Advanced Manufacturing, Ballistics/Impact Dynamics, Composites/Advanced Materials, Crash Dynamics, Digital Twin, Engineering Design/Modification, Environmental/ Electromagnetic Test, Full-Scale Structural Test, Nondestructive Test, Reverse Engineering, Robotics/Automation, Virtual Engineering, eXtended Reality and the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel.
About Solvay
is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life.
With more than 21,000 employees in 63 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements
to reinvent progress. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world鈥檚 top three
companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of 鈧�10.1
billion in 2021. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB).