A tasty new sandwich filling! A one-polymer system is threatening to shake up the aerospace interiors industry – traditionally a sphere dominated by phenolic resin honeycomb panels. Pennie Varvarides reports. A thermoplastic sandwich panel from…
Blade advances break the mould Advances in both blade aerodynamics and in composites production technologies have enabled the rapid and cost-effective manufacture of thin, efficient blades with the required durability. Dr Neil Calder reports. There…
Crystal clear traceability for turbine blades An innovative marking programme developed by Pryor Marking Technology for a leading aero engine manufacturer has delivered traceability across one of the most complex component-production processes in the industry. As…
Shining the light One technology that has speeded up composite part production in aerospace manufacturing is laser template projection, employed by Bombardier at its CSeries wing manufacturing facility in Belfast. Ed Hill discovers…
Starrag UK’s solutions keep AMRC one step ahead The strengthening partnership between Starrag UK via its tier 1 status with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Boeing and the Nuclear AMRC sees an increasing number of machines being…
Building on alternative aerostructures As the final assembly process for the first Airbus A320neo is just starting, Dr Neil Calder reviews how far the much predicted radical advances in aerostructures design and manufacture have…
Challenging times According to AIM Aviation’s technical sales director, Chris Wenstrom, the effects of high build rates and speed of delivery, combined with ever-tightening legislations are increasing pressure on aircraft interiors suppliers.…
The rhythm of light Let there be light! Aerospace Manufacturing’s Pennie Varvarides reports on the aerospace industry’s increasing trend towards LED technology. When it comes to airframe design and construction, LED technology is almost…
Attacking the bends The drive to find stronger and lighter materials affects every element of modern aircraft design, but it also puts pressure on suppliers who have to process these materials. Ed Hill…
Taking a shine to grinding Jones & Shipman explains why its Suprema cylindrical grinding machine takes a shine to chromium grinding. Having secured a long term contract to finish machine chromium plated hinge pins used…
An understanding of landing At the last Aero Engineering Show, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty’s Mick White gave visitors to the open forum a heads up on what’s going down with the company’s latest landing gear technology innovations.…
Titanium machining on a grand scale Heavy-duty cutting of titanium places particular requirements on the machine and working processes. WFL Millturn Technologies says it has shown its competence in this area with a machining solution for…
Engine measurement relies on ION 3D measurement technology specialist Faro reveals how its Laser Tracker technology helps Rolls-Royce keep step with the new Trent XWB engine final inspection requirements. To help keep pace with the…
Thinking outside the wing box According to Collier Research Corporation’s president, Craig Collier, robust optimisation of airframe structures is essential from preliminary design through final analysis. Engineers tasked with designing more efficient airframe wing…
Excelling in the air In the competitive world of aerostructures, US composite specialist Exelis believes automation and cutting development time is the key for success. Ed Hill finds out more. Exelis Aerostructures can trace…
Huntsman unveils FST thermoset solution for interior aerostructures With operating costs continuing to rise and the perceived need to improve the revenue potential on each and every new aircraft being commissioned, both the OEM and supply sectors of…
In good repair Morgan Advanced Materials’ aerospace market segment leader, Mark Forkapa examines the latest technologies and processes being employed in aircraft turbine blade repair. Extracting maximum service life and value from intricately…
Gearing up Landing gear manufacturers are coming under increasing pressure to reduce weight and deliver cost savings. Ed Hill speaks to Liebherr Aerospace’s chief technical officer, Heiko Luetjens, about its approach to…
Metrology bridges the gap Handheld precision metrology specialist, Third Dimension has been chosen to deliver its measurement solutions into Airbus’ facilities. Mike Richardson gauges the impact non-contact measurement is having on the aerospace sector.…
GF AgieCharmilles milling solutions aid MTU Aero Engines Leading aircraft engine manufacturer, MTU Aero Engines says it has inaugurated a new centre of excellence for blade integrated disks (blisks). The new building in Munich boasts one of the…
Engineered coating kindness! Innovnano explains why thermal barrier coatings have now become a necessity in the manufacture of aircraft turbine engines, helping protect them from physical wear, chemical corrosion and thermal degradation. Turbine…
Delivering aero engine excellence Nick Lerner reveals how Dassault Systèmes’ 3D Experience platform is helping to promote innovative processes at Rolls-Royce. No other company name has a place in the English language than Rolls-Royce…
Ready for take-off with AdaM Nikolaus Fecht reports on the 2nd International Conference on Turbomachinery Manufacturing (ICTM) in Aachen, where the industry and the research community officially launched a new innovation cluster called AdaM. The…
All things wings GKN Aerospace reveals how it is working hard to develop enabling technologies that it believes will make a valuable contribution to future wing development programmes. With the drive for increased…
