Regional Queensland is set to make aircraft and spacecraft composite repairs faster and more efficient than ever before, thanks to a University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) project.

Backed by the Australian Government’s iLAuNCH Trailblazer program, materials researchers at UniSQ will collaborate with Melbourne-based engineering services company MEMKO and aerospace manufacturer, Boeing Australia.

iLAuNCH Trailblazer Executive Director Darin Lovett said the project aimed to digitally transform the repair process for aircraft and spacecraft built from composite structures.

“MEMKO brings to UniSQ access to the Dassault Systèmes virtual twin software and their engineering expertise with these tools, which enables the virtual replication of a product along its whole lifecycle – from digital design through to manufacturing requirements or in this case, structural repair.”

“Researchers will apply the digital tools to Boeing test cases to identify the most accurate and efficient aerospace maintenance repairs.”

Boeing’s Production Capability Manager, Mykl Devlin said the company had already seen real value in applying digital twins to design and manufacturing processes within its programs.

“We’re looking forward to partnering with UniSQ and embedding a PhD student at our Boeing Aerostructures Australia facility to further this research and to support the sovereign innovation ecosystem.”

Left Dr Tristan Shelley UniSQ. Right Mykl Devlin Boeing in front of UniSQ Robotic Filament Winding Machine.

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE® Company, provides business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The software ecosystem at the heart of the iLAuNCH project is well regarded and crucial to the lifecycle sustainment of large-scale aircraft and spacecraft.

MEMKO Systems General Manager Ravi Jain said that as a Dassault Systèmes partner, they had been supporting industry primes, their supply chains and start-ups in Australia since 2007.

“We have forged strategic partnerships with leading universities to develop workforce development and upskilling programs to address critical skills shortages within growing industry domains.”

“The iLAuNCH program is vital for the growth of Australian sovereign space manufacturing capability and we are glad to partner with the University of Southern Queensland.”

Dr Tristan Shelley from the UniSQ Centre for Future Materials will head the research, and said the ultimate goal was to achieve increased digitalisation of manufacturing processes for composite materials.

“The virtual twin workflows we develop will be utilised for a case study focused on the repair of composite components to eliminate both engineering and laborious processes leading to more efficient and effective maintenance, repair, and operations of future fleets.

“The program will also work on the identification of filament winding pathway developments, particularly for complex components that cannot easily be supported by existing software. The linkage of vision tools in-situ during filament winding into the virtual twin is key to optimised manufacturing processes.”

To complete this iLAuNCH Trailblazer project, UniSQ is putting in place scholarships for three PhD opportunities to work alongside engineers and scientists at Boeing Aerostructures Australia and MEMKO in Melbourne, Brisbane and Toowoomba to help enhance the digitisation of composite components.

About iLAuNCH

The Australian Government is building new research capabilities, driving commercialisation outcomes and investing in new industry engagement opportunities through the Department of Education’s Trailblazer Universities Program.

The Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications and Hypersonics (iLAuNCH) Trailblazer is a $180 million program to transform Australia’s competitiveness by rapidly commercialising University research through industry partnerships. Our efforts directly enhance Australia’s burgeoning space industry.

Through this federal program, iLAuNCH will receive $50 million of investment over 4 years, alongside a further $130 million from universities (University of Southern Queensland, The Australian National University, and the University of South Australia), industry partners, and CSIRO. The net economic benefit of the $180 million investment is expected to be $3.6 billion by 2040.

About Boeing Australia

With a 96-year legacy, Boeing Australia is the leading aerospace company in the region. Our 4800 plus employees work across the broadest aerospace portfolio in Australia, including advanced manufacturing, defence, services, and research and development. We have a thriving Australian supply chain supporting our operations, and we’re proud to partner with great organisations that support veterans, STEM and the communities we live and work in.

About MEMKO

MEMKO offers industry specific products, technology, training and engineering solutions to assist and support customers in advanced and highly regulated industries. Our staff have extensive engineering, quality, manufacturing and management capabilities and we can support your business in matters relating to: Engineering and technology services; Continued engineering, regulatory and technical training; Regulatory approvals and organisational audits; Strategic planning, market research and business development; and, Mentoring, development and recruitment of management and engineering staff.

Top image (left to right) Arjun Palepu – MEMKO, Peter Schubel – UniSQ, Tristan Shelley – UniSQ, Venkata Chevali – UniSQ, Phil Crothers – Boeing, Xuesen Zeng – UniSQ, Ravi Jain – MEMKO, Cam Minh Tri Tien – UniSQ, Horace Leung – Boeing