Dr Levent Kirkayak, Head of the Structural Composites Unit at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), participated in the Paperjam 10×6 – Industry (Re)Invented event held on 3 March at Kinepolis Kirchberg. Organized by the Paperjam Club, the event brought together industrial decision-makers to discuss the transformation of European industry around innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.
In his talk, Dr Kirkayak presented a recent aerospace innovation developed with industrial partners, notably Daher, and recognized at this year’s JEC Innovation Awards.
Ribs are key structural elements inside aircraft wings, maintaining the aerodynamic shape and transferring loads within the wing structure. While traditionally manufactured in aluminium, these components face increasing limitations in terms of weight, manufacturing complexity and cost efficiency. The solution presented by LIST introduces composite ribs made from thermoplastic materials together with a fast infrared welding technique for assembling the rib feet. The approach enables automated production and faster assembly compared with traditional mechanical fastening methods.
According to the results presented during the talk, the innovation can deliver significant improvements in aircraft manufacturing, including reduced weight, shorter production cycles and improved manufacturing efficiency, while enabling full recyclability of the thermoplastic materials used.
The presentation highlighted how research carried out today can contribute to the development of the next generation of aircraft, at a time when the aviation sector faces the challenge of reducing emissions while meeting growing passenger demand.
