ZAL_YB-2017

ZAL TECHCENTER ACHIEVEMENTS
FAMOS RESEARCH PROJECT
FAMOS –
A SHARK TAKES
TO THE SKIES
50 — 51
— Two of the biggest players in ZAL TechCenter, Lufthansa
Technik and Airbus, have brought a research
project at ZAL to a successful conclusion. In the FAMOS
project, the aviation companies worked together with
bwm (Bremer Werk fuer Montagesysteme) to develop
a system for using robotic arms to coat airliner wings
with a ›shark skin‹ texture. The surface, modeled on
nature, reduces airflow resistance, thereby lowering
fuel consumption.
SHARK SKIN FOR MORE
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AVIATION
The aviation industry has been investigating surfaces
that reduce friction and drag for several years. The
benefits of a so-called ›riblet structure‹, modeled on
the skin texture of sharks, are obvious: the improved
surface can reduce the fuel consumption of an airliner
by around 1%. For Lufthansa′s fleet alone, this would
result in a saving of 55 million euros-worth of kerosene
and more than 200,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
EFFICIENCY IN PROGRESS
By using the riblet structure, the fuel
consumption can be reduced by about 1%