META

The collaborative project META is part of the German Aviation Research Program (LuFo Klima VII-1), led by Airbus Aerostructures GmbH. The project aims to develop innovative metallic technologies for aircraft components that deliver a significant positive climate impact (energy, material, and weight savings) while enhancing the competitiveness of German industrial sites.

META focuses specifically on door surround structures. By optimizing manufacturing processes, the project seeks to reduce production costs and enable higher production rates.

The joint project META ("Metallic Technologies for Environmentally Friendly, Competitive, and Efficient Aviation") addresses the central challenge of radically modernising conventional aircraft manufacturing processes, many of which have remained unchanged for over 15 years. Current production of complex door surround structures is characterised by immense material and energy consumption; for instance, milling from solid blocks results in up to 90% of the raw material ending up as waste. The goal is therefore to create a synergy between sustainability and economic efficiency through technological innovation, improving the ecological footprint of production sites while securing global competitiveness.

To solve these issues, META relies on four innovative technology modules: Additive Manufacturing (3D printing) using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) allows titanium components to be built near-net-shape, reducing raw material consumption by over 20%. In the field of sheet metal forming, advanced cold and hot forming processes—such as Fluid Cell Forming and Hot Form Quench—are being developed to replace heavy milled parts with lightweight, complex sheet metal structures. Parallel to this, resource-optimised bonding is being advanced, where heavy rivets are substituted by weight-saving bonded joints, and energy-intensive autoclave cycles are made more efficient through the use of heated, reusable vacuum hoods. This is supported by new non-destructive testing (NDT) methods (LEA), which utilise lasers and artificial intelligence to enable highly automated quality assurance in series production

The benefits of this project are multifaceted: In addition to a significant reduction in climate impact—such as 50% energy savings in curing processes and up to 90% less material waste for specific components—a 5% to 10% structural weight reduction leads to lower emissions throughout the aircraft's entire lifespan. Economically, the project benefits from shortened lead times and decreasing manufacturing costs, which sustainably strengthens the future viability of German aviation sites in Bremen, Nordenham and Varel.