Editor's comment: Think yourself fitter

The older I get, the harder it becomes to lose weight. Not only am I advancing in years, but I seem to be advancing in waist size too.

So while there’s a slim chance that I’ll think seriously about getting fit and going on a diet, I also realise that weight loss doesn’t just preoccupy my thoughts, but also weighs heavy on today’s airline operators too.

Faced with a continual struggle against volatile fuel prices and demands to shrink CO₂ emissions, the aviation industry is striving for lighter and more fuel-efficient planes, which in turn, are pushing engine manufacturers to focus on more revolutionary new designs.

In this issue, Digital Manufacturing Centre’s CEO, Kieron Salter reckons one of the biggest industry drivers is additive manufacturing’s ability to enable lightweighting while producing more compact and complex components – often at a reduced cost per part and consolidating several components into one.

Elsewhere, touch point solution specialists, Southco says that updating seating is certainly one area where airlines are lightweighting aircraft interiors. However, this can present a challenge for designers in that by slimming down the construction of the seat, there is a risk that passenger perception of comfort and quality can negatively impact a particular carrier’s brand appeal and value.

In our Digital manufacturing section, Rod Wah of Beverston Engineering reveals how CNC machine tool specialists, Mazak’s iSMART Factory solution enabled the company to integrate Industry 4.0 principles into its manufacturing operations in order to make processes more efficient and reduce waste. Just like my expanding waist, the expanse of waste in terms of repetitive movement of workflow can reveal similar undesirable effects.

In the aviation industry as in life itself, succeeding in all that we do comes down to achieving a healthy balance, a positive mental attitude and ‘thinking’ yourself fitter.