Cobham composites brochure

Composite Technologies from Cobham Antenna Systems Maintaining precision in the most demanding applications

The most important thing we build is trust ON LAND

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AT SEA

IN THE AIR

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A Wealth of Experience

Cobham Antenna Systems’ technical leadership in the use of advanced composites and its unequalled track record in innovative design solutions have made Cobham one of the foremost designers and manufacturers of specialist composite components and structures in Europe.

Cobham delivers a complete design to installation solution for advanced composite structures for airborne, naval and land based platforms.

As part of Cobham, Cobham Antenna Systems has the financial and management backing of one of the largest Aerospace and Defence organisations in the UK. This supports continual product and service development, the cornerstone of the company’s enviable reputation for excellence and reliability – essential assets in such demanding industries.

Radomes and structures are manufactured to the most exacting tolerances to meet diverse requirements such as aerodynamic loads, birdstrike, hail, green seas, low Radar Cross Section (RCS), installed radar / antenna performance through to ballistic performance.

Cover picture of Type 45 Destroyer © BAE Systems

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A full size model of a helicopter fuselage and belly radome / antenna are assessed for interference caused by the airframe, other antennas and FLIR pod. All measurements are made in the near field and the data converted to the far field by Fast Fourier transformations. Test results are used to verify predictions made by in-house electromagnetic modelling software (FORAM).

This 6m near field range is one of six ranges at Composite Technologies.

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Design Excellence

Composite Technologies has a wealth of experience with anisotropic materials, their benefits as well as limitations. This, coupled with a large, validated, materials database enables the company to propose efficient costeffective solutions to design requirements.

Creating structures that work reliably in the most demanding environments requires a holistic approach to design, manufacture and test. At Composite Technologies innovative design and specialist RF and composite expertise, combine to provide customers with structures that perform at all levels. This performance is underpinned with the very latest test facilities.

Mechanical Design

RF Design

Composite Technologies has wide experience in all aspects of mechanical design and a deep understanding of non-metallics. This enables the company to analyse every aspect of a customer’s requirements to ensure development of the most efficient and costeffective solutions.

Radomes operating from VHF to microwave frequencies are designed with in-house developed software using ray-tracing, physical optics, and method-of-moments solution techniques.

The company’s experience in mechanical design covers static and dynamic structural aspects and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Furthermore, its vast knowledge of reinforcing fibres and specialist matrices, including thermoplastics, means that the materials’ properties are tailored for optimum product performance.

This software is able to predict radome / antenna performance parameters such as main beam transmission loss, boresight error, sidelobe degredation, radome-induced flash lobes and depolarisation.

The company also has considerable experience of Low Observable (LO) structures and Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) which incorporate periodic arrays of conductive elements. These achieve transmission properties that are frequency-dependent, and thus allow the radome / antenna to have a lower out-of-band radar cross section.

RCS predictions can then be correlated to actual measurements using the company’s inhouse test range.

Sampson Type 45 Destroyer Radar Array The multi-functional radar array for the new Type 45 Destroyer is the main sensor for the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS), requiring extremely high precision in its construction.

Composite Technologies construct the array utilising ultra-high modulus carbon fibre to achieve the accuracy and stiffness requirements necessary for operation in the most extreme conditions.

Picture © BAE Systems

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TORNADO IDS RADOME TEST Tornado IDS radome undergoing evaluation on a far field test site.

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Manufacturing Precision

1 PRE-PREG LAY-UP IN THE CLEANROOM Precision lamination of components in a controlled environment.

The company is based on two sites that provide over of 135,000 square feet (12,500 sq.m) of purpose-built manufacturing space.

2 AUTOCLAVE PROCESSING For optimum consolidation and minimal voidage, autoclave processing is vital. A suite of autoclaves give enormous capability and capacity.

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The latest CAD systems enable the company to optimise received data to create cutter paths for five axis machining centres that are crucial in the manufacturing process.

Whatever the manufacturing quantities, the precise tolerances demanded by the aerospace and defence markets are most stringently controlled.

Rigorous quality assurance procedures cover all manufacturing processes including hand lamination, pre-preg / autoclave, Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), compression moulding, integration of metallic coatings through to final assembly backed up by proven abilities in repair and support.

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Product integrity and consistency is of paramount importance – from small components to large, complex structures, the company is focused on fast, cost-effective, and above all, precise production.

Resin Transfer Moulding The properties of a radome need to meet the conflicting requirements of high impact strength, good temperature performance and excellent dimensional stability with low dielectric loss properties.

Eurofighter Typhoon nose radome quartz pre-form being laid up on male RTM tool.

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3 FIVE AXIS NC MACHINING Five Axis NC machining is undertaken on a wide range of composite and metallic components.

4 ROBOTISED PAINTING Accurate, repeatable application of a wide range of paints and surface coatings is ensured by the use of robotic paint facilities.

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Quality Assurance

Cobham Antenna Systems is continually reviewing and improving the performance of its products and services and reinforcing its rigorous quality assurance programme backed up by frequent external and internal audits.

Composite Technologies is accredited to BS / EN / ISO 9000 (2000), AS9100, AC7118 Nadcap and EASA Part 21 and Part 145.

The company uses pre-production test facilities for assessments of new designs, and imposes strict compliance checks on every finished product. An extensive range of test equipment includes facilities for three-axis co-ordinate measuring and ultrasonic NDE. The company has numerous customer-specific approvals.

Laboratory Support Materials Database and Testing

The laboratory facilities provide mechanical data under a broad range of environmental conditions. Typical testing standards include British Standards, MIL-STD’s and ASTM. Evaluation of materials’ performance under other environmental conditions such as rain erosion, UV and chemical contamination is also conducted. Over 40 years experience in the design of RF windows has yielded an extensive database of the specialised polymer and reinforcement materials required for low loss dielectrics.

Three Axis Measuring

Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE)

As well as meticulously measuring prototypes or finished products, this facility can be used to generate CAD models of components to verify compliance with the original dimensions.

In addition components that lack either full definition or have incomplete drawings data can be measured and a solid model created.

The company utilises a variety of NDE methods ranging from handheld ultrasonic A-scan to fully automated Cscan detection techniques.

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IPD CORRECTION Insertion Phase Difference (IPD) correction equipment is used to bring the electrical thickness of the Eurofighter Typhoon radome up to its optimum value by selectively spraying the inside of the radome with a corrective coating. Phase changes through discrete patches of the radome wall are measured and stored automatically using computer controlled positioning and data acquisition systems. Resin is then sprayed internally on to the electrically thin areas to bring phase differences to within 0.5 degree of the required value.

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Advanced Products with Proven Performance

Eurofighter Typhoon Radomes

EH101 Belly Radome

Composite Technologies manufactures the complete suite of radomes for Eurofighter Typhoon including: Nose Radome, MAW, DASS Suite, Fin Tip, Strakes and CRPA.

This AEW radome measuring over 3.2m in diameter was manufactured by Composite Technologies to a particularly demanding specification for both structural and RF parameters.

Bombardier Dash 8 Auxiliary Fuel Tank Autoclave-cured honeycomb sandwich construction was employed to minimise mass for this lightweight and modular solution to increase fuel capacity and extend the range of Bombardier Dash 8 surveillance aircraft in Australia.

High Tension CFRP High tension carbon fibre over-wrapped permanent magnet rotor for use in a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) for a supercar, this composite overwrap is capable of withstanding the high inertial forces and temperatures in excess of 200ËšC

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AW159 Future Lynx

Precision Reflectors

Filament Winding

Composite Technologies is responsible for the design and manufacture of the Tailplane End Plate for the Future Lynx, this structure also encompasses embedded antennas.

The company has a long history in the design and manufacture of single piece and segmented reflectors with tolerances down to 0.04mm RMS.

Highly accurate repeatable filament wound structures are manufactured using glass, aramid and carbon reinforcements with a wide variety of matrices.

Man-portable tactical seven segment communications reflector with exceptionally low mass.

SATCOM Reflectors 5.4m nine segmented SATCOM reflector and sub-reflector with 0.5mm RMS surface accuracy.

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Ultimate performance structures Cobham Antenna Systems will be at the forefront of tomorrow’s innovations, partnering with imaginative system designers to shape the future.

On land

Picture © BAE Systems

At sea

In the air

V2 10-13

For further information please contact: Cobham Antenna Systems Composite Technologies Gelders Hall Road Shepshed Leicestershire, LE12 9NH England

Cobham Antenna Systems Composite Technologies Horizon Technology Park Six Hills Way, Stevenage Hertfordshire, SG1 2DH England

Tel: +44 (0)1509 504541 Fax: +44 (0)1509 507563

Tel: +44 (0)1438 768800 Fax: +44 (0)1438 768822

Designed and produced in England by Generator (Creative Energy) Ltd – Telephone: +44 (0)1425 651951 e-mail: info@generator.uk.com Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this brochure, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions. All photography is copyright and is used with thanks to the respective owners.

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Email: CompositeTechnologies.Sales@cobham.com

www.cobham.com/antennasystems

This paper contains 50% recycled fibres and is bleached in a totally chlorine free process. The virgin fibre content of this paper is elemental chlorine free and comes from managed forests.

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