Manufacturing of a Novel Upper Wing Cover Demonstrator using Friction Stir Welding

Manufacturing of a Novel Upper Wing Cover Demonstrator using Friction Stir Welding F Eberl(1), KP Smith(1), I Eberl(1), J Laye(2), F Fernandez(3), D Nunes(3), M Cruz(3), M Miyazaki(3), G Aleixo(3), R Sanchez(4), JL Garcia(4) (1) Constellium Aerospace and Transportation, (2) C-TEC, (3) Embraer S.A., (4) AERNNOVA, S.A.U.   Constellium has worked with Embraer to design, develop and manufacture a novel upper wing cover demonstrator.  This upper wing is comprised of Constellium high strength plates made of alloy 7449 joined by friction stir welding (FSW).   The presentation will overview the work packages of Constellium, Aeronova and Embraer describing the preliminary design, plate manufacturing, development and execution of the friction stir welding process, integral machining, peen forming, surface treatment and painting. Innovative design linked with an enhanced alloy plate assembly allowed for optimization of buy-to-fly ratios and a high performance monolithic upper wing solution.   This upper wing cover has been assembled into a full semi-wing demonstrator at Embraer.  The semi-wing will be tested at Embraer under service conditions.   The learnings from this demonstration of a new wing skin assembly route are an ideal platform for future developments of integral structures and other weight-cost optimizing concepts. The progress in friction stir welding technology and the continuous development of further enhanced alloys, AIRWARE® for example, allows concluding with an outlook on welded structures for future airframe applications.