Construction and Manufacturing

NLR Fibre Placement Machine
Construction and Manufacturing

31 March 2021

SUSTAINair is investing in circular aviation for the green transition

The SUSTAINair project is investigating and developing solutions for sustainably using raw materials and improving the performance of aircraft. This Horizon 2020 project, which recently got off the ground, is aiming at the same time to achieve circular aviation by drastically reducing the waste and material costs throughout the lifecycle of the aeroplane.

ACM Pilot Plant at NLR Marknesse
Construction and Manufacturing

17 February 2021

Digital twins in the aircraft manufacturing industry

Digital twins are a derived virtual item that can have a positive effect on automated production processes. Royal NLR is using this innovation to optimise the production process for composite components and human-machine interactions.

professional RPAS drone operations
Sustainability and Environment

03 February 2021

Flying safely with liquid hydrogen

NLR will demonstrate drone flights fuelled by liquid hydrogen stored in tanks made entirely of composite material – a lightweight solution, with no risk of metal fatigue. With this, NLR is taking the next step towards safe, climate-neutral aviation, contributing to the ambitions of the Dutch ‘Duurzame Luchtvaartakkoord’ (Sustainable Aviation Accord) and the associated ‘Actieprogramma Hybride Elektrisch Vliegen’ (Hybrid Electric Propulsion Action Programme).

Thermal Control System (TCS) for CubeSats
Construction and Manufacturing

29 October 2020

When the heat is on in space

Increases in power density mean that better thermal control measures are needed for CubeSats. A mechanically pumped loop developed by Royal NLR provides a reliable solution for dissipating the heat produced by the satellite’s electronics. NLR developed a modular modelling application in the space thermal analysis tool ESATAN that demonstrates how this mini pump can be an effective solution.

3D metal printed fusee
Construction and Manufacturing

18 November 2019

Metal additive manufacturing programme for certification of critical components

Join our Metal Additive Manufacturing certification programme. After the first successful metal Additive Manufacturing programme, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre now offers a follow-up programme to support participants in their ambition to introduce certified metal AM parts.

Integration of satellite antennas into small sized UAVs
Space Technology

10 October 2019

Beamforming antennas

Beamforming antennas (also known as phased-array or beamsteering antennas) utilize a series of antenna elements that allow the antenna bundle to be controlled electronically instead of mechanically. This allows signals to be emitted in or received from the correct direction. This is an important advantage for non-fixed systems such as aircraft and satellites. In addition, the radiation diagram can be adjusted so that the antenna sends or receives in one or more directions or that it receives more information or emits more energy in one specific direction than another. Because they are controlled electronically, beam-forming antennas are less vulnerable and do not require mechanical maintenance.

Construction and Manufacturing

04 June 2019

3D printing of high performance polymers for Industry & SME’s

Royal NLR and Ultimaker start collaboration on printing high performance (fibre) reinforced polymers. NLR’s Smart Industry field lab for Automated Composites, Metal Manufacturing and Maintenance ACM3, supports companies in the development of lightweight systems made of composite materials and/or metal. Additive manufacturing of high performance metals and polymers is one of the key areas ACM3 is focusing on.