ÉTS

Aerospace: ÉTS Researchers at the Forefront

In Québec, ÉTS stands at the forefront of applied research in aerospace. In a market where stiff global competition and environmental pressures are constantly on the rise, its researchers make a notable contribution to creating innovative technological solutions and confirming Montréal’s place among the world’s leading aerospace centres.

ÉTS Researchers Collaborate with the Biggest Players in the Aerospace Industry

Nearly 60 ÉTS researcher professors lead more than 90 projects in collaboration with 70 partners, including the largest in the industry. They also collaborate on R & D projects with the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ), the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada (CARIC), the Green Aviation Research & Development Network (GARDN), and the Coalition for Greener Aircraft (the SA2GE project).

Strategic Directions in Aerospace 

ÉTS focuses on three main research topics:

  • Innovative manufacturing (digital businesses, advanced manufacturing and materials, intelligent cells, robotics, composites, alloys, additive manufacturing, etc.);
  • Avionics, control systems, UAVs and satellites;
  • Aircraft modelling and simulation (tests, aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, multidisciplinary design, etc.).

Laboratories and Research Chairs Related to the Aerospace Sector 

Members of research laboratories and research chairs are attached to various engineering departments, including automated production engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and software engineering and IT.

Research Chairs

  • Canada Research Chair for Aircraft Modelling and Simulation Technologies
  • P&WC Industrial Research Chair on Propulsion
  • Finkl Steel Industrial Research Chair in Forming Technologies of High Strength Alloys
  • Siemens Industrial Chair on Industry 4.0 Technology Integration
  • P&WC-ÉTS Industrial Chair on Propulsion System Integration and Optimization
  • ArianeGroup Research Chair on Emerging Materials in the Aeronautics and Space sector
  • Safran Industrial Research Chair on the Development of Sustainable Aero-Propulsion Systems 

All the research chairs

Research Units

All the research units 

State-of-the-art Equipment and Infrastructures

Researchers benefit from laboratories with latest-generation sophisticated equipment in the field of embedded systems, navigation and avionics, including:

  • Flight simulators;
  • 6 degrees of freedom (6-DOF) dynamic simulator;
  • Autonomous flight system;
  • Subsonic wind tunnel;
  • Drones;
  • Flying test bench;
  • FMS (flight management systems) identical to those used in aircraft;
  • Specialized software;
  • Mobile autonomous recording system for all types of encoded avionics data protocols.

These state-of-the-art facilities allow researchers, graduate students and ÉTS industrial partners to conduct tests and experiments, to verify performance in the laboratory and to simulate various missions and scenarios.

Aerospace 4.0

The AÉROÉTS group represents, promotes and integrates all ÉTS’s teaching and research activities in the aerospace field. In collaboration with other academic institutions and research centres, it has established Aerospace 4.0, an integrated program of research and education.

Getting out in front of the growth expected over the next few years in robotics, aircraft simulation and other industry 4.0-related technologies, this program conducts R&D projects on technologies related to the aerospace sector.  

Main Research Activities:

  • Robotics and additive manufacturing;
  • Intelligent manufacturing systems;
  • Multidisciplinary simulation and optimization of the factory;
  • Design and simulation of products in development; 
  • Intelligent supply chains and logistics (product life cycle management); 
  • Advanced predictive maintenance systems.

Our researchers bring their expertise to the design of strategic technologies in all these domains: 

  • More electric, more intelligent systems; 
  • Competitiveness of manufacturing; 
  • The maintenance, repair, revision and end-of-life optimization of aircraft;
  • Advanced configurations; 
  • Multidisciplinary design optimization; 
  • Energy management and alternative fuels; 
  • Highly integrated systems and integrated modular avionics; 
  • State-of-the-art air traffic management systems.
     
The Québec Aerospace Industry
40,000 jobs, including 12,000 engineers
and scientists
50% of all Canadian aerospace activity
70% of all Canadian R&D expenditures
in aerospace
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