JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 46

TAPAS

Thermoplastic affordable primary
aircraft structure consortium

interview

Arnt Offringa
Project Manager
TAPAS project

JEC Composites Magazine: Can you tell us
about the TAPAS project?

Arnt Offringa : TAPAS focuses on

the development of thermoplastic composite technology and corresponding demonstrator products for future Airbus and
other aircraft, for example fuselage panels
and tails. The TAPAS acronym stands for
Thermoplastic Affordable Primary Aircraft
Structure. The products being developed
are large and will be produced in large
numbers. Therefore, the automation of
thermoplastics manufacturing processes,
such as fibre placement, press-forming
and welding, is one of the innovation areas
being researched and demonstrated.

In TAPAS, Dutch industrial companies and research institutes work
together with aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Together, the eleven Dutch
partners are commercially active in the Dutch aerospace industry and
work closely with Airbus in the field of material-, production- and
connection technology and design. The technology is targeted for
future Airbus-developed applications, including primary structural
components as fuselage and wings.

and saw the potential of this technology.
The group recently expanded with Codet
and KE-works and went on to a four-year
TAPAS2 follow-on project.
JCM: What exactly is your role within the
project?

A. O. : My role is that of project manager,
leading the team. We have managers for
the different development areas, such as
fuselage development and torsion box
(tails and wings) development.
JCM: Why thermoplastics, and only
thermoplastics?

A. O. : Thermoplastic composites offer

significant growth potential in aerospace.

JCM: Who is behind it, and how were the
partners chosen?

A. O. : The partners in the project are

Airbus, Fokker Aerostructures, TenCate,
Airborne, KVE, DTC, Technobis, Codet,
KE-works, University of Twente, Technical University of Delft and the Dutch
National Aerospace Laboratory. Eight of
these partners joined forces in 2009 in the
original four-year TAPAS project. They
formed a team because they are all active
in the area of thermoplastic composites

By choosing thermoplastics as a technology focus area and investing in it, the
partners are cooperating to create new
business with a large growth potential.
This is actually the reason why the Dutch
government is co-funding the project. The
interest in thermoplastics in automotive
is becoming very strong as well. Even
though TAPAS is an aerospace development, there is cross-over with automotive
since the same technology is suited for
both market segments. Examples are
stamp forming and welding.
JCM: To date, how far along with developments are you?

A. O. : Several full-size demonstrators
have been built and tested successfully as
part of the TAPAS project. Among them
are a 12-metre-span business jet tail and
an airliner fuselage panel. Cost and weight
saving potential has been demonstrated.
JCM: Do you plan to extend the experience,
and is a TAPAS 3 feasible?

A. O. : Actually, we are just now starting
the TAPAS2 project, which is a fouryear continuation of the original TAPAS
project. Perhaps there will be a TAPAS3
later on. n
Thermoplastic skin panel manufactured by Fokker

46 jec composites magazine / No89 May 2014

More information:
www.tapasproject.nl


http://www.tapasproject.nl

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014

Cover
Edito
Point of view: volume production
Contents
COMPANY & BUSINESS In Brief
MEA
Agenda of Events
APPLICATIONS
Race car
E-helicopter
Pipes
Consumer goods
MARKET
Brazil
U.S.
WPC
FEATURE AERONAUTICS
Integration
CMC
Prepregs
CAE
Design
Equipment
Structure
Interview
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Infusion
Process
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
Automotive
Tow placement
Core materials
Index
In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Point of view: volume production
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - COMPANY & BUSINESS In Brief
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Agenda of Events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - MEA
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 11
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Ad1
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Ad2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Race car
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 13
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 14
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - E-helicopter
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Pipes
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Consumer goods
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 19
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Brazil
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - U.S.
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - WPC
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 24
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 26
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Integration
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 28
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - CMC
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 30
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 31
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Prepregs
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 34
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - CAE
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 36
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Design
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 38
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Equipment
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 41
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Structure
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Interview
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 45
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 46
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Infusion
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 48
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 49
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Process
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 52
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 53
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Automotive
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 56
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 57
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 58
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 59
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Tow placement
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 61
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 62
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Core materials
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 64
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - Index
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 67
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #89 - May 2014 - 68
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