Keynote: Dr. Claudio Dalle Donne, Airbus
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Future Materials: Resilience, Digitalization, and Circularity for Next Generation Commercial Aircraft – Dr. Claudio Dalle Donne, Airbus
The transition to zero-emission aviation requires more than new propulsion systems; it demands a total evolution of the materials forming the airframe (and engine). This presentation offers a practitioner’s view on the general principles and practical examples required to reach a carbon-neutral future, based on four pillars:
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Learning from the Past: Based on in-service returns, we demonstrate the critical importance of getting material test data right from the outset. We translate this deep oversight into improved test methods for novel materials. A primary focus is the development of Airframe Digital Corrosion and NDT Twins—digital mirrors that enable predictive monitoring, improved designs and material choices
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The Supply Chain Crisis: A special focus is placed on the lessons learned from the post-pandemic industrial landscape. A key principle is achieving material sovereignty by aggressively reducing material variability. Furthermore, we explore the strategic opportunities for Additive Manufacturing (AM) to bypass traditional casting and forging bottlenecks.
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Sustainability and Circularity: we define Sustainability as a design requirement and Circularity as a key enabler towards material sovereignty.
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Digitalization as an Accelerator: throughout the practical examples above, it is shown how digitalization is the key enabler for the entire material lifecycle