Protom Group S.p.A. is an Engineering Solutions provider and key reference partner for companies looking for valuable Engineering activities. The company funded in 1995 and structured in two main technology streams: Advanced Engineering and ICT. The Advanced Engineering BU is mainly focused on the Transportation Sector with the deepest know-how in Aerospace. In 2013 the company enlarged the vision by making a big step change investment in recruiting a group of former Piaggio Aerospace Engineers, Seniors Engineers, and Managers and creating the Advanced Engineering Business Unit focusing mainly on Aerospace. Protom has thus inherited a well-consolidated knowledge and expertise in Aerospace mainly focused on conception, design, qualification, certification, and support of aircrafts, aircrafts structure and systems. Protom Group management system is certified according to UNI EN 9100:2009 - Provision of professional engineering services, design, and development of mechanical and electrical systems and components for the aerospace and defense sector. The company is certified as a design supplier within several OEMs and Aerospace Tier 1 suppliers (Piaggio Aerospace, Alenia Aermacchi, Agusta Westland, Calidus LLC). The company’s activities cover the full spectrum of expertise related to design engineering in Aerospace (both structures and systems), Automotive, and Railway sectors, from the overall design of a product or sub-assembly to the specific design of detail parts. In details Protom design engineering capabilities are:
- Design of Main Structural Component - Preliminary Sizing, Structural Stress Analysis, Structural Fatigue Analysis, Structural Components Design (3D CAD & 2D drawings), FEA, Static, and Dynamic Experimental Tests
- Design of mechanical systems, for example, Landing Gears, mechanical flight controls, and thrust reverser; covering the entire design lifecycle from the concept definition, preliminary sizing, detailed design, FEM analysis, Qualification, Certification and Manufacturing support.
- Electro-mechanical systems, i.e electro-mechanical actuators for secondary flight control surfaces. From initial requirements definition, Actuator concept definition, preliminary design, detailed design, qualification, and certification.
- Pneumatic Systems Design, for example, ECS, Ice Protection systems. Pressurization Systems. High-pressure and low-pressure ducting sizing, design and stress analyses, Air Conditioning sizing, system architecture definition, equipment specification, qualification, and certification.
- RAMS analyses. Protom safety team has fully capabilities to perform the design of an aeronautical system according to the SAE ARP4754a and to perform the safety assessments in agreement with the SAE ARP4761.
Role in HERA
Protom will be involved in the following tasks:
T3.1 Fuselage Interface
Protom Structure Team is made up of well-experienced Engineers and Senior Structure Engineers with both know-how in Aircraft Structures design and FEM analysis. In detail, many of the Protom Structure team have participated in the design activities of the major aircraft programs: ATR, A320, C27J, and Piaggio P180. Regarding fuselage, Protom has been involved in the design activities of the following projects/programs:
- Airbus A321 P2F /Cargo modification): to design the fuselage modifications for the transformation of the A321 into Cargo.
- Piaggio P180 P1HH: to modify the P180 aircraft fuselage for an unmanned version of the P180 aircraft.
- Piaggio MPA: to design the FCS, both primary and secondary, of maritime patrolling aircraft derived from the P180
- ATR: Protom is partner with Leonardo in the NEMESI project for the digitalization (3D models) of the ATR fuselage.
- T5.3 Systems Architecture Studies
Protom System teams are made of well-experienced Senior Systems Engineers covering different technologies; Flight Controls, Landing Gears, Hydraulics, Pneumatic Systems (ECS), and Ice Protection. Hereafters are some of the major projects in which Protom Systems team has been involved: - COSTAR project: Protom team together with Umbra Group is actually developing the Electromechanical Actuators for the flight controls of the Airbus RACER rotorcraft.
- Calidus B-250: to design, qualify and manufacture, with Umbria Aerospace Systems as partner, the equipment of the a/c hydraulic system.
- SEaSIDE project: Protom has designed and developed a demonstrator for an Ice Protection System based on Electro-Expulsvie technology.