Airbus 2010 Annual Report Download - page 79

BUILDING THE FUTURE
57
INNOVATION
Acting as the focal point for research and technology (R&T)
across the Group, the CTO is working to support EADS
Vision 2020 targets by setting and executing R&T strategy,
globalising activities in the R&T field and ensuring that
people at the Company have the required level of expertise
to master future technology challenges.
Self-financed research and development spending – which
includes product development – remained roughly stable
as a proportion of Group revenues, at 6.4%. The budget
of Innovation Works, CTO’s global network of laboratories
for strategic long-term research, remained at a stable level.
In 2010, CTO recorded major achievements above all in
the areas of green mobility and efficient manufacturing
processes.
Technology
EADS aims to maintain its position as the global number
one in aerospace patents, and in 2010, the Group filed a
total of 1,007 new patents. Over the last six years, EADS’
portfolio has doubled in size to more than 9,000 patents.
EADS’ technologies have a range of applications not only
within aerospace. For example, many wind turbine blades
use an efficient fibre-composite manufacturing method
originally developed at EADS research facilities and
Cassidian. The Group is offering select intellectual property
to other companies through licensing agreements.
Green mobility
EADS is supporting the development of biofuels to
make aircraft more environmentally friendly. Biofuels are
considered carbon-neutral as their feedstock consumes
CO2 when growing. Algae are seen to be a promising
potential feedstock, as certain species contain high
levels of oil and cultivation does not compete with food
production. Microalgae reproduce rapidly and create at
least 30 times more organic substance (biomass) per
cultivation area than, for example, rapeseed.
In 2010, EADS achieved the world’s first flights of an
aircraft powered by pure biofuel made from algae, using
a Diamond DA42 twin-propeller plane.
Advances were also achieved in the field of electrical and
hybrid propulsion. The all electric Cri-Cri aircraft, jointly
developed by EADS Innovation Works, Aero Composites
Saintonge and the Green Cri-Cri Association made its
official maiden flight in 2010.
The aerobatic plane incorporates numerous innovative
technologies such as lightweight composite structures
and electric motors which deliver propulsion without
CO2 emissions.
Helicopters with hybrid diesel-electric propulsion systems
that reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to
50% were showcased at the UK’s Farnborough Air Show
in July 2010.
People
The EADS Lean Six Sigma programme (formerly
EADS Black Belt programme) aims to train 3% of the
EADS population by 2014 in continuous improvement
techniques, and to embed the principles of Lean and Six
Sigma in the businesses. In 2010, 786 employees were
certified through the programme including 56trained as
Black Belts, achieving savings of over €37million. CTO is
collaborating with the Group’s Human Resources function
in order to support experts’ careers and PhD candidates,
as well as identifying future key competences and skills.
To support the Group’s globalisation strategy, the number
of staff at EADS research centres in Bangalore, India and
Singapore was increased.
Revolutionising manufacturing
EADS is leading the world
in development of Additive
Layer Manufacturing (ALM),
a revolutionary new
method of manufacturing
that promises greater
precision, improved raw
material performance and
significantly less waste.
With the aid of lasers,
raw materials in powder
form are fused together,
one layer at a time,
to form component parts.
Consequently, designs
can be followed exactly,
raw materials can be
used to their optimum
performance and the waste
from traditional machining
processes is eliminated.
Analysis of an A380 door
strut bracket has shown
that ALM has great potential
as a “green technology”,
using 25times less energy
and raw material, and
weighing 50% less than
a milled titanium bracket.
ALM has moved rapidly
from prototype stage
to producing certified
high-performance
aerospace parts.