64 October 2013 www.aeromag.com www.aero-mag.com THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR A GLOBAL INDUSTRY CIVIL & DEFENCE/SPACE/SUPPLY CHAIN JUNE 2023 PARIS AIRSHOW SPECIAL EDITION 54th INTERNATIONAL PARIS AIR SHOW LE BOURGET JUNE 19-25, 2023
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Best in show Editor | Mike Richardson | newsdesk@aero-mag.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825709 Deputy Editor | Ed Hill | ehill@mitpublishing.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825705 Digital content coordinator | Michael Tyrrell | mtyrrell@mitpublishing.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825713 Business Development Manager | David McCauley dmc@aero-mag.com | Tel: +44 (0)7557 308369 Sales Director | Andy Morley amorley@aero-mag.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825701 Art Editor | Sarah Blake sarahblake@sablemedia.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1233 770781 Production Coordinator| Ewa Hodden ehodden@mitpublishing.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 825703 Circulation, Subscriptions and Database Research | Perception SAS aero@mitpublishing.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1825 701520 Financial Controller | Valerie Prentice | accounts@mitpublishing.co.uk Publisher | Liam McCauley Director | David Rose Published by | MIT Publishing Limited | Featherstone House | 375 High Street | Rochester | Kent ME1 1DA | United Kingdom | Tel: +44 (0) 1634 830566 Published 10 times a year, Aerospace Manufacturing is distributed free of charge to applicants in the UK and certain other countries who meet the publishers criteria. Subscriptions are also available at £150 per annum which represents a 40% saving on the single issue price. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publishers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions, no matter how they may arise. Authors opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without the consent of the publisher. Copyright: MIT Publishing Ltd 2023 Printed by: Pureprint Group 4 NEWS AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES 14 Location, location, location – Civil 17 Behind the scenes at the Airbus FCAS LAB – Military 20 Mixed reality overcomes operational challenges – Military TECHNOLOGY FEATURE 23 Reel to reel fibre handling – Engines 26 A whole system approach – Engines ADVANCED MATERIALS 30-51 Machine tools, tooling, additive and composites SUPPLY CHAIN 52 The pursuit of excellence – Partnerships SPECIAL REPORT 54-64 Automation, MRO, and parts cleaning DIGITAL MANUFACTURING 65-71 Product control software and simulation PARIS AIRSHOW 2023 PREVIEW 72-92 Paris Airshow exhibitor roundup FINAL APPROACH 94 A future full of possibilities – Karen Mascarenhas, KMPR Next issue: Aircraft programmes: Helicopters, Avionics, Materials supply, Special report: Quality & inspection, Digital manufacturing: PLM I bring exciting news. Not the upcoming Paris Airshow, although that is quite exciting I suppose. No, the really exciting news is that the Richardson household will soon hear the patter of tiny feet – or should I say paws. I’m getting a puppy! Well, my girlfriend is getting a puppy and I’m about to become a sideshow. Love me, love my dog I suppose – and the irony of all this isn’t lost on me. Because if we are talking about shows, a complete lack of any news emanating from the Paris Airshow communications team has left me feeling side-lined to say the least. And with no UK Paris Airshow press event this year either, I’ve actually been working like a dog to scrabble enough editorial together to support the event and help promote it. Let’s get some perspective here. In terms of deadlines, editors of monthly publications get everything together in a timely fashion to inform their readers what they can expect to see during the Airshow. Words and images are collated, edited, proofed, and then laid out on the pages as the issue gets bigger and bigger. Sure, it’s hard work but it’s worth it. You want some more perspective? The Paris Airshow is so large that if you look very carefully, you can actually see the curvature of the earth appearing at the far end of hall 4. It’s the biggest Airshow, period. It’s the biggest shop window for our industry to promote itself. It’s a big deal, right? Why wouldn’t you shout from the rooftops, wave the flags and bang your drum? Erm… hello? Everyone and their dog will be there. Well, you would be barking mad not to be. On behalf of the Aerospace Manufacturing team, I look forward to seeing you there. Mike Richardson, editor ISSN 2056-3434 www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing June 2023 3 COMMENT & CONTENTS Volume 18 Issue 167
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NEWS AMETEK expands business jet MRO capabilities AMETEK has announced the global expansion of its business jet MRO capabilities in a move aimed at meeting the growing demand for high-quality maintenance services for business jets and further solidify its position as a trusted partner in the aviation industry. AMETEK MRO AEM in the UK announces its expanded heat exchanger capability which delivers technically superior repairs for ACJ and BBJ aircraft. AEM is qualified to solicit repair business globally and with exclusive access to OEM documentation, technical support, and materials, the MRO has built a range of workscopes to better support a wide range of large business jet operators. “The crucial benefits we offer the business jet sector as an MRO are speed and flexibility,” said Ismael Fadili, vice-president sales, Europe. “Our relationships with the OEMs enable us to stay abreast of the market with an inside track to changes and developments that improve the repair of heat transfer parts. Value to our customers is delivered through comprehensive aftermarket component repair capabilities underpinned by OEM quality.” www.ametekmro.com Figures published by ADS Group showcase the £37 billion value added to the UK economy by the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors in 2022. It further reveals that businesses delivering world-class products and services generated £82bn in turnover, with UK exports from the sectors worth £36bn. The ADS data further highlights the employment of 20,200 apprentices in the sectors’ workforce of 417,000. This represents a record high and is reflective of ADS members’ commitment to developing the workforce of tomorrow. ADS’ Aerospace Outlook further showcases that 90% of the 108,000 jobs in the aerospace sector are located outside of London and the South East. In addition, with £101,000 output per worker, aerospace sector productivity is 56% higher than the economy average, delivering strategic advantage for the UK. “Throughout 2023, it remains an ADS priority to support our members, and secure long-term UK advantage,” stated Kevin Craven, chief executive of ADS (pictured). “Through our outlooks, we highlight the role of individual sectors to the UK as well as the significant business and trade opportunities available to businesses in the UK.” www.adsgroup.org.uk ADS figures show growth for UK in apprenticeships
6 October 2013 www.aeromag.com NEWS June 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com Farsound expands US presence with new facility Farsound has announced the opening of its new facility in San Antonio, Texas this summer. The expansion will enable the company to enhance the services it offers to its customers across the US. The new premises in San Antonio will serve as a base for all Farsound’s activities in the Americas, from bespoke MRO supply chain services to aero engine parts logistics. The initial facility will occupy approximately 28,000ft2 of specialist warehousing and office facilities. This expansion follows the appointment of new Farsound president USA, Matt Berkebile, who will be based out of the new facility. Berkebile will oversee exciting plans for growth across the US to develop Farsound’s reputation and market reach in the lucrative global MRO and aviation sectors. “Opening this exciting new facility in San Antonio is an enormous milestone for Farsound,” stated Berkebile. “It supports our ambitious plans to strengthen our presence in the US market and grow our reputation for excellence, customer service and innovation in the global aviation industry.” www.farsound.com The organisers of the International Composites Summit (ICS), Composites UK and Fluency have announced the formulation of its new Advisory Council. ICS, which takes place on 6–7 September 2023 is now in its third year and moves to the larger venue of Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. It will build on end-sector and associated industry engagement to help support in the journey towards net-zero, where composites will play a critical role. The ICS Advisory Council (ICSAC) is a group of key industry players, designed to help steer the development and direction of the exhibition, so that it continues to support and meet the needs of industry in delivering solutions to decarbonisation and circularity challenges across the sectors. The council will meet twice a year. The ICSAC consists of the following representatives of their sectors: • Aerospace and Defence – Harriet Wollerton, ADS Services Director, ADS | Keri Montague, Research and Innovation Manager, Leonardo Helicopters • Automotive – Andrew Mansfield, EV Supply Chain Manager, SMMT | Hannah Khusainova, Marketing Director, PRF Composites | Paula Constantinou, Marketing and Communications Director, Hexcel • Marine – Ross Wombwell, Head of Technical Services, British Marine | Andrew Hay, Engineering Director, Princess Yachts • Energy – Barnaby Wharton, Director – Future Electricity Systems, RenewableUK | James Luter, Head of Operations, Vestas • Construction – James Henderson, Technical Director - Digital Asset Management, Atkins • Rail – David Clarke, Technical Director, RIA | Jonathan Howard, Head of Growth, Dura Composites • Technology - Andrew Hopcraft, COO, National Composites Centre/HVMC • Media – Mike Richardson, Editor, Composites in Manufacturing | Eric Pierrejean, CEO, JEC Mirroring UK strengths, ICS showcases what’s great about composites in the UK and is the place for international and national customers to meet with the UK supply chain, and for suppliers to meet with UK customers. www.internationalcompositessummit.com ICS organisers form Advisory Council SHD Composite Materials says it recently supplied Percival Aviation with FR308, a bio-based, FST compliant resin system for use in aircraft and rail interior applications. The highly sustainable product, initially derived from a waste product of cane sugar production, ultimately finding applications on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. In an initial programme, the end customer needed to extend the storage capability of overhead bins on their Boeing 757 aircraft. Percival Aviation created a solution that allows passengers on the aircraft to stow their luggage lengthways, instead of width-ways, and so enables more passengers to put their bag in an overhead bin. The resin was tested for full conformance with aircraft interiors standards and was used in the overhead bin doors to replace a traditional fossil fuel derived phenolic prepreg. Utilising the resin increased the durability of the new OHB Doors. Ian Leece, operations manager at Percival Aviation said: “The team at SHD were easy to work with and provided a suitable solution at a reasonable price. As the FR308 is a renewable bio resin system, it helps keep in line with our company environmental policy. Overall we were very impressed with the product and will return for future projects.” www.shdcomposites.com SHD supplies resin to interiors specialist
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NEWS Precision bearing specialists, Carter Manufacturing says it is building on its tier 1 supplier status in designing and manufacturing bearing and tooling products for global aviation applications. A good example of this is a recent agreement with Boeing, where Carter Americas is supplying all-access proof load test torque testing tools, in addition to discussing options for also supplying swivel torque tools. Designed and manufactured by Carter’s UNASIS division, these specialist bearing tools offer solutions that were not previously available, helping to increase safety and the longevity of the bearings in service. The proof load test is a mandatory quality control process defined by a Boeing process specification BAC5435 which is conducted by measuring the axial deflection of the bearing housing under a defined load. If the bearings move more than 0.003 inches (0.0762mm) in either direction, the bearing installation has failed and must be replaced. Additionally, the adaptor style design means the number of components are minimised for the largest possible range of bearings, thereby significantly reducing the cost for proof load tool kits capable of testing a wide range of bearings. www.carterbearings.co.uk Carter seals Boeing bearing testing deal KMETALS EXPO U In partnership with 200 Supply Chain Exhibitors x 100+ Speakers x50+ Seminars across 4 Theatres 13 - 14 September 2023h NEC FREE to attend - www.ukmetalsexpo.com The ONLY Event that brings together the entire Metals Supply Chain
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NEWS Global composites industry reunited at JEC JEC World 2023 closed its doors after three days of intense business activities, expertise and knowledge sharing. The event welcomed 40,200+ professional visits from more than 106 countries, attending conferences, product and technology displays from 1,200 exhibitors. 26 national and regional pavilions set the stage for the leading countries and regions in the field of composites manufacturing. In 2023, JEC World is back to its full strength and reaffirms its position as the leading event for the global composites industry. The event benefited from the increased attendance of high-level decision-makers from Asia and especially from India, Japan, South Korea and China. With more than 600 product launches and announcements during this year’s show, JEC World remains the place to be to introduce new products to the global market. 58% of the exhibition space has already been booked for the next edition that will take place from 5-7 March 2024, hinting at another great time to come for composites enthusiasts. Exhibitors and attendees have expressed very positive feedback about the quality of the exhibition and the success, once again, of this pinnacle event of the industry. www.jeccomposites.com Flux Aviation secures startup award Flux Aviation has been named as the Innovative Startup of the Year at the Midlands finals of the StartUp Awards 2023 held in May. Founded by Radovan Gallo in 2021, the team at Flux Aviation has developed highperformance electric motors and batteries that make zero-emission electric flight possible. The company is currently flight testing its electric propulsion technologies with a range of general aviation customers, before scaling these to larger units capable of powering aircraft on regional and domestic flights. Radovan Gallo (pictured), founder and CEO of Flux Aviation said: “It is great honour to receive this recognition by StartUp Awards. It is a testament to the hard work of our team and the value of our mission to make zero-emission flight a reality. We are incredibly grateful for the innovation support and strength of talent here in the Midlands that are helping us innovate.” www.fluxaviation.com
NEWS Airborne has been selected by Airbus to supply an Automated Ply Placement (APP) system to the Getafe production plant, to manufacture the dry fibre preforms for RTM structures. This will be the first time a pick & place-based system is used in Airbus factories, reflecting the leading position that Airborne is building for APP. The system is planned to be used for the automated production of the preforms for the A350 rear fuselage beams and maintenance door frame, made of UD and fabrics. Dry fibre composites are an efficient method to manufacture complex, highly loaded primary structure. For this reason, Airbus is producing the A350 beams of the rear section of the fuselage with this technology. First the preforms are made, then shaped into the right 3D geometry by hot drape forming, and finally infused with epoxy resin by Resin Transfer Moulding. In this project, Airborne will develop further its APP system to Airbus requirements, test and install the system in the factory, before handing it over to Airbus. An extensive trial period is included in the project, to ensure the system can reach the required accuracy and robustness that is needed for the highly loaded and critical primary structure components. Airbus will support Airborne and qualify the technology to be used according to its standards. “We are extremely proud to be able to supply Airbus with our Automated Ply Placement technology,” said Marcus Kremers, CTO of Airborne. “It is great that our vision on creating new methods to automate composite manufacturing is shared and that we can bring this exciting technology into the heart of Airbus composite manufacturing in the Getafe plant. ” www.airborne.com Airbus selects Airborne to supply APP system DES IGN | INSTALL | MAINTAIN | SERVICE WWW.MINDEN.CO.UK Talk to Minden about your chromate DUST problem... Call us now on 01788 890571 for a Free ‘No Hassle’ discussion AEROSPACE INDUSTRY Taking the DUST out of the Dust Extraction Systems and Accessories Minden have 35 years of experience and know-how to offer you SOLUTIONS to your dust problem. Our ‘Special Projects’ team will review your requirements and give tailor made solutions. Minden offer a range of solutions, from a straight forward centralised system for keeping your facility clean, through to ‘special solutions’ that integrate with Robotic machining and even solutions that will recover and re-cycle your material. Minden_am_0623.qxp_Layout 1 26/05/2023 12:37 Page 1 Nasmyth has announced the appointment of Jason Whittle as its new supply chain director. “I started my career at Nasmyth with an apprenticeship and I am pleased to be returning,” stated Whittle. “I am looking forward to working with our supply chain to deliver significant growth over the next two years.” Tony Upton, CEO of Nasmyth added: “The Nasmyth team are looking forward to working with Jason as we build greater resilience in our supply chain to better support our customers’ expectations.” www.nasmyth.com Nasmyth makes Whittle appointment
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14 October 2013 www.aeromag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: CIVIL AIRCRAFT June 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com oeing’s Sheffield factory will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year, marking a significant milestone for the company’s presence in South Yorkshire. The £40 million factory opened in 2018 to manufacture components for trailing edge actuator systems for aircraft. Since then, the factory has shipped more than 13,500 of these parts for the 737. Boeing’s ties to South Yorkshire stretch back even further to 2001, when it cofounded the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with the University of Sheffield. The research and innovation campus was launched to unite academia and industry and has played a central role in creating the region’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem - making South Yorkshire a natural choice for Boeing to open its first European manufacturing site. “Having the opportunity to prototype, develop, experience and do the research and development collaboration with partners such as the ones we have here in Sheffield, through the AMRC, is a powerful differentiator and one we’re very proud of,” says Maria Laine, president of Boeing in the UK, Ireland and Nordic region. “We have a long history with the local community, more than 20 years of great work, culminating with the construction of the Boeing Sheffield factory, and we are now looking to the next generation of technology and digital engineering methods, assessing not only what we produce but how we produce it.” Driving UK economic growth Boeing Sheffield employs more than 100 people, and the team continues to grow. The company is committed to supporting and growing its UK supply chain, particularly SMEs, and all suppliers to the factory are based within 100 miles of Sheffield. The site also offers apprenticeships and training opportunities, with 30 apprentices trained so far in partnership with the AMRC Training Centre and another cohort recently launched. During the apprenticeship they are trained in all disciplines of machining, including milling and turning along with general hand fitting skills. A range of cutting-edge equipment is used to produce parts, including operating complex machinery. “When we look at where we want to be located and where the Boeing company wants to grow, it’s important to have that ecosystem to tap into - and that’s what we’ve found with Sheffield,” adds Laine. In terms of manufacturing innovation, the Sheffield factory is a prime example of how Boeing is embracing multiple advanced manufacturing techniques to strengthen production systems and deliver on commitments to product quality and safety. The factory uses digitally-enabled devices to create a safe work environment and achieve high-quality work, and was the first Boeing facility to use an operations management system that reduces touch time and complexity for operators while providing live machine performance data to industrial engineering. The site is also the UK home for Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T), which works closely with the University of Sheffield on various projects, including novel additive manufacturing, which aims to increase efficiency throughout the aerospace supply chain. Moreover, Boeing has continued to expand its presence in the area, becoming the founding member of the University of Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) to help produce and scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Boeing’s fifth anniversary in Sheffield marks a significant milestone for the company’s presence in South Yorkshire. The factory has not only contributed to the local economy but also offered training and apprenticeships for young people while driving research and development in the aerospace industry. www.boeing.com Helping drive the UK aerospace sector’s economic growth and innovation, Boeing’s Sheffield factory reflects on almost half a decade in South Yorkshire. B LOCATION, LOCATION, Boeing’s Sheffield factory offers training and apprenticeships for young people (above) Scan here for more Boeing articles Location
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www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing June 2023 17 AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY arl climbs into his cockpit. His mission today is to assess new functionalities and technologies for use in a next generation fighter jet. These include: a touchscreen humanmachine interface that allows him to assign tasks to a swarm of drones, or remote carriers as they are known in the military, and an augmented reality system that displays information such as reconnaissance and other mission participant’s data as well as the status of the remote carriers - all of which his jet is connected to via a data cloud called the ‘Combat Cloud’. What sounds like science fiction today will be reality in 2040. This is because such technologies will be flying in the Future Combat Air System, or FCAS for short, which will by then be operational in France, Germany and Spain and will gradually replace existing combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter or the Rafale. FCAS will be Across Europe, in France, Germany and Spain, Airbus and its partners are working at full speed to ensure that the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) will be operational by 2040. BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE AIRBUS The FCAS Lab team uses simulators to fly virtual missions (below) FCAS Lab K
18 October 2013 www.aeromag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY June 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com centred around a core Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS). In this ‘system of systems’, a New Generation Fighter (NGF) will work together with remote carriers (RC) and be connected to other systems in space, in the air, on the ground, at sea and in cyberspace via a data link and mission service cloud. Karl, a former German Air Force weapon system officer, is part of a Franco-German-Spanish team at Airbus testing how it all works at the company’s FCAS Prototyping Laboratory (FPL) in Manching, near Munich. Karl is not actually sitting in a real jet, but flying virtual missions in a simulator. “We research and work on solutions that don’t exist yet, but will be required in the future,” he explains. Johannes Horn, chief engineer FCAS simulation and virtualisation adds: “Through these virtual missions, we gain ‘hands-on experience’ that helps us refine and assess new technologies and concepts as well as identify their technical, operational and integrational readiness. This eventually allows us to integrate the best solutions into the design and development of FCAS.” First flight deadline The clock is ticking, and Demonstrator Phase 1B is now in full swing: by 2025 the FCAS flight demonstrators will have been further developed. Demo Phase 2 will then see them take off for the first time: the remote carrier demonstrator in 2028 and the New Generation Fighter demonstrator in 2029. The production phase is scheduled to begin in the 2030s. Including the FPL team, Airbus currently has 250 people working on the FCAS and plans to have 800 doing so by the end of 2023. “We want to fill the new positions with both internal and external candidates,” says Bruno Fichefeux, head of FCAS programme at Airbus, adding that 80% of them will work in Engineering. “Working on FCAS is rewarding, both for experienced and new talents. After all, it’s not too often that you get the opportunity to work on the most important European defence project of the next decades.” On the Airbus side, this will take place mainly in four plateaus or integrated work areas: in Manching, with a focus on the New Generation Fighter, Remote Carriers and stealth technologies; in Getafe near Madrid, where work is being done on the New Generation Fighter and stealth technologies; in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, where work is being done on the combat cloud and remote carriers; and in Elancourt near Paris, where teams are working on the overall system of systems and the combat cloud. But how is collaboration with external partners set up? In the Phase 1B demonstration, it is divided into individual pillars, each of which has a leading company with partners, according to the ‘best athlete’ principle. Airbus, for example, is responsible for the remote carriers, combat cloud and stealth technologies. There will also be a plateau in Saint-Cloud, France, where Dassault Aviation will notably lead the New Generation Fighter pillar together with Airbus as a main partner. In the FCAS Demonstrator Phase 1B, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined: For each pillar, there is a leader, a so-called ‘prime’, and ‘main partners’ who are involved in the developments. Airbus, for example, is responsible for the remote carriers, combat cloud and stealth technologies. “As a European player in aerospace, collaboration is our daily business,” Fichefeux explains. After all, Airbus was founded on the very idea of working together to achieve what is impossible alone. “Of course, cooperation is not always easy, but ultimately, we strive with our partners to achieve a common goal: to provide our customers with the best possible equipment to fulfil their military missions to protect and defend our democracies.” Europe gains autonomy But why does Europe need its own system to do this, why not just buy an existing one off the shelf, for example in the US? “Firstly, there is no system yet that meets all the requirements,” states Fichefeux. “Second, it’s about nothing less than European autonomy. Our air forces need to be able to operate where and when they think it’s strategically important, without black boxes in between. Not having that capability would be a tremendous loss of sovereignty.” The FCAS Lab team uses simulators to fly virtual missions. The aim is to research and work on solutions that don’t exist today, but will be needed in the future. Future requirements Back at the FPL, in their touchscreen simulators with virtual head-up display cockpits, Karl and his colleagues are about to take out an enemy’s ground based air defence system supported by unmanned assets and smart algorithms. They are not flying the mission alone, but in a team with colleagues in other simulators at the FCAS Lab and at Airbus’ Spanish site in Getafe near Madrid, all networked together. Blue (allies) versus red (threat) is the name of these exercises, which are designed to clarify the requirements that the future air combat system will have to meet. Conducting these exercises is no easy feat. They involve virtual cockpits built by Airbus Human Factors Engineering experts based on decades of experience. Added to that are virtual hostile forces challenging every carefully prepared mission plan, the simulation operators who closely evaluate whether their simulations behave correctly, and other experts who closely monitor the performance of their sub-systems and data to further mature their operational value and readiness. “Each exercise generates new ideas, matures concepts and provides handson experience of what a future digital engineering process might look like to maximise the system,” explains Horn. Meanwhile, Karl and his colleagues at the FCAS Lab in Manching are carrying out their mission with aplomb. This time, Blue is winning, not least because in the simulation FCAS already has everything that it needs: plenty of speed, an extensive sensor grid and the collaborative firepower of all the networked systems involved. www.airbus.com Photos Copyright Airbus Defence and Space 2023 Airbus currently has 250 people working on the FCAS (above) Scan here for more Airbus articles
EXPERIENCE ALLOWS US TO FACE THE MOST CHALLENGING AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS.
20 October 2013 www.aeromag.com June 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY he military aerospace manufacturing sector is beset by challenges. Manufacturers must be focused on ensuring they are efficiently delivering new systems and components to their customers whilst also consistently keeping systems and platforms up and running through rigorous maintenance and repair. Doing all this is complex and costly. However, the sector also must deal with large numbers of ageing engineers reaching retirement at the same time as experiencing the impacts of a younger more transient workforce. In addition to this, numerous companies in the aerospace engineering field are struggling with unprecedentedly high churn in their young technicians. This not only causes turbulence on the shopfloor, it also costs up to $100,000 for a company to hire, train and then lose a single engineer who stays for less than a year. Given all these challenges, manufacturers need to look at ways of better enabling the engineers they do have to fill the shortfalls that increasingly exist today. The experience they have at their disposal must go further than it has ever done before. Traditionally, one of the challenges manufacturers face is the frequent need to send engineers to sites that can be halfway across the world, to maintain and fix systems and components. Today, there are fewer engineers to send and, as a result, it will typically take longer to find a gap in the schedule to send them out to do the maintenance. In other words, it is increasingly difficult to get the knowledge where it is needed when it is needed. Depending on specific circumstances, the wait time for engineers can often be for extended periods that impose significant cost and equipment non-availability on both the operator and the OEM. Consequently, system failures are having a significant downstream impact on OEMs as they struggle to provide timely and effective contracted support to the user or their service agents. This applies to the defence aerospace industry whatever the part they play in development, manufacture or support of engines, landing gear, avionics or the entire platform. Finding a way forward Fortunately, solutions to these complex challenges are increasingly coming on stream. One of the most promising areas today is the implementation and utilisation of fast-emerging advanced manufacturing technology of mixed reality (MR). MR-based worker support is proving to be a powerful tool. Workers remain in their physical workspace and digital Duncan McSporran, founder and COO, Kognitiv Spark looks at how mixed reality technology closes some of the critical knowledge gaps in aerospace manufacturing. T MIXED REALITY OVERCOMES OPERATIONAL An engineer in the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force. Image: Crown Copyright (above) Challenges
Thermal, Pressure, Bond-on & Combination Rakes Make to print Design Manufacture Instrumentation In addition, we now have associated in-house manufacturing capabilities offering Reduced Tip Thermocouples, Temperature Sensors, and Survey Thermocouples to complement our product range. Bowyer Engineering are synonymous for this work in the aerospace sector. For more details visit our website: www.bowyerengineering.co.uk Get in touch sales@bowyerengineering.co.uk 01264 365921 Rolls Royce SABRe accredited V2-2023-05-17-KC-Bowyer-Advert.pdf 1 17/05/2023 15:50 content is superimposed into their real-world view to enable interaction with the workspace and virtual objects. MR also allows remote workers to establish a secure video and audio call with support teams or subject matter experts when they need help solving a complex problem. The expert, who can be located anywhere, can see what the remote worker sees and provide verbal and visual guidance. In the more sophisticated MR systems, the user can also simultaneously access holographic assets to support the task, all while remaining ‘heads-up’ and ‘hands-free’. This approach is highly-effective in complex operations. Being able to deal with issues ‘on the fly’, through MR technology, helps eliminate equipment downtime and reduce time to resolution. Over and above this, MR is reducing the need for expert engineers to travel to site to oversee or conduct engineering tasks that are often conducted in a short time-frame. Less experienced engineers may struggle to quickly absorb all the necessary information they need to maintain and fix equipment efficiently and well. That’s especially the case in the military. As Nick Slater, strategic development director at Kognitiv Spark partner, Serco, commented: “Today, military aerospace engineers need to have so much more in their heads than ever before. And that’s not possible as a human. They can’t be an expert in absolutely everything, especially with more complex platforms. So, the ability to use MR technology to deliver support ‘at reach’ through what we term capability as-a-service, is crucial in enabling our key defence customers to maintain their assets.” In significant research it has been proven that when a less experienced worker engages in an unfamiliar operation using MR, their knowledge retention surpasses that of using a manual or pdf. This applies equally to systems assembly or quality assurance or downstream maintenance. The An engineer in the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force. Image: Crown Copyright (left)
22 October 2013 www.aeromag.com AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES: MILITARY June 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com benefit of regenerative training at the point of need – on the assembly - is especially clear where the individuals might have only previously completed a task during classroom sessions. By using the highly cognitive capabilities of MR in a task, the grasp of the subject matter becomes more profound. This experiential approach, putting the required knowledge at the “point of need”, enhances the understanding of the user and likelihood of completing a task without mistake or assistance. MR makes the knowledge more tangible and easier to remember compared to relying solely on a traditional manual, whether that is a paper or digital source. Worker morale is also raised where MR is used as a tool. Less experienced engineers feel they are achieving something positive as part of a team effort. They can improve upon their own contributions. And if they get a real sense that their contribution matters to the success of the project, they are more likely to stay with the organisation over the long-term. MR implementation is also not only key to reducing equipment downtime, but also maintenance-related travel. Other benefits include much more rapid diagnosis of issues, and leveraging such technology ensures that mission critical systems and aircraft remain at high operational readiness for routine training and deployments. As we look to the future and move forward with digital transformation, MR will bring further benefits. In the future, we will inevitably see digital convergence. Integration and greater use of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors feeding information to people and Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven predictive analysis, as just two examples. We will also witness more materials analysis taking place not just of equipment but also of the surfaces that people are working on. All that information will come on stream but will be presented in different ways. In this context, MR will help to reduce the issue of sensory overload for engineers, by presenting information visually in three dimensions to them at the point of need. Over time, MR will evolve into a more fully realised spatial computing environment where information will come together and make itself available to the digitally enabled aerospace engineer. And being able to have all this merged in one environment, where it is visual, and therefore does not increase the cognitive load on the engineer, is a phenomenal step forward. The other great benefit of MR technology stems from its affordability. In our experience, every customer that takes this technology and starts to use it, can attain real, tangible, operational and financial benefit within eight to 12 weeks., It sometimes takes a little time for them to roll it out and get it into the hands of their team. But as soon as they employ it, they’re seeing the benefits. In terms of accessibility, in our experience, it is not unusual to see engineers begin using the capability 45 minutes after they have received a system in a box, having never put a computer on their head before. In short, well selected MR systems can be easy to use. Engineers can rapidly master it and typically feel comfortable using it from the outset. As Serco’s Slater concludes: “Within the military aerospace manufacturing sector, we are increasingly seeing that mixed reality is not just another piece of tech. It is a real enabler that does support positive outcomes. After all, if you can keep an aircraft flying longer between faults or problems or maintenance because you can have an expert, potentially even the manufacturer, remotely helping an onsite engineer maintain an aircraft or a motor vehicle, you can enable them to do their job better, and ensure the whole operation is running as efficiently as possible. Having that knowledge and experience available at the point of need is critically important to the military and becoming more so over time.” www.kognitivspark.com An engineer in the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force. Image: Crown Copyright (above) Duncan McSporran, founder and COO, Kognitiv Spark (below)
www.aero-mag.com Aerospace Manufacturing June 2023 23 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: ENGINES he University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has collaborated with Archer Technicoat Limited (ATL), TISICS Metal Composites and Cygnet Texkimp to deliver a project on ‘Continuous Interface Coating for Silicon Carbide (SiC) composites’ or CICSiC for short. The project focused on the manufacture routes for silicon carbidebased Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) - a material of particular interest for high temperature applications of up to 2,000˚C in sectors such as aerospace, space and nuclear. The delivery of the project builds on the AMRC’s reputation as one of the leading centres nationally for research in the manufacture of these materials. The interface between the fibre reinforcement and the matrix is a critical component of CMCs. The project aimed to develop equipment and processing know-how for uniform, continuous coating of interfaces on SiC fibres, such that the mechanical properties of SiC-based CMCs can be more closely specified to enhance their aerospace applications. This enables the development of more efficient engines, offering significantly lower weight, lower cooling requirements and lower aircraft emissions - resulting in a reduced impact on the environment. “SiC-based ceramic matrix composites are a promising material for many extreme environment applications including aero engines,” says Ryan Skillett, technical manager at ATL. “The CICSiC project kick-started the development of a new method for manufacturing these high value materials aiming to simultaneously bring down costs whilst improving performance and reliability.” The project aimed to develop a new reel-to-reel coating technology to replace the current batch coating method to apply interphase coatings to CMCs. In the batch coating method, a preform is made from uncoated fibre which is treated in one step, making it difficult to ensure an even Lower emissions and increased aircraft performance are benefits of a novel prototype machine developed by an industrial consortium that includes the AMRC, designed to improve the coating technology for ceramic matrix composites. REEL TO REEL FIBRE HANDLING AMRC technical fellow, Steffan Lea processing silicon carbide fibre on a 3D weaving loom (above) T
24 October 2013 www.aeromag.com TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: ENGINES June 2023 Aerospace Manufacturing www.aero-mag.com coverage of all areas of the preform with equal precision. The new method uses a reel-to-reel process to apply the interphase coating. Material is wound from its original spool onto a new spool with the interphase being applied in-between. This ensures a uniform coating. As the material is still on a spool, it can easily be used in fibre processing technologies. This allows for shapes with increased complexity to be formed with a uniform interphase coating. Skillett says the results of the project have drawn international interest from specialists: “The project worked towards the creation of a continuous fibre coating system to work in harmony with the existing batch-based technology, and in doing so, look to take on some of the major barriers to market for the product. The results of this project have drawn international interest from specialists in the material, leading us to believe it has a very bright future.” The AMRC’s role in the project focused on the industrial scale processing of SiC fibres to produce preforms with increased complexity. The ability to process the fibre is key to realising the potential of this material. Utilising SiC fibres in processing technologies such as weaving and Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) is important for building confidence in the handling of these materials so that they can be adopted into industry, and understanding the current processing limits. The work on handling fibres was performed on as-purchased SiC and on SiC provided by ATL that had undergone the coating procedure in order to understand the difference in processing requirements, limitations and the quality of the output. “Silicon Carbide composites (SiCSiC) are of interest to many industry sectors looking at high temperature applications,” says Steffan Lea, a technical fellow in the AMRC’s composites team. “The ability to produce more complex preforms from continuous silicon carbide fibre will enable new designs and applications for this high performance ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material.” Lea says the AMRC’s understanding of how to process SiC fibres has developed: “During the CICSiC project, the AMRC has gained familiarity and knowledge on how to process SiC fibre on industrial-scale machines. Our knowledge on how to process SiC fibres on weaving looms to produce 3D woven preforms enables the production of unitised preforms with added complexity. Using the Nicalon on Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) allows us to make efficient use of the material, only placing it where it is required and controlling the path of the fibre to make best use of its properties.” Kevin Morris, National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) technology manager at Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, says the project has proved to be a ‘very successful’ collaboration, and with the help of funding from NATEP has delivered ‘a winning project’. “The CICSiC project itself was able to develop the innovation and methods associated with the continuous coating of silicon carbide fibres,” he states. “It demonstrated how issues could be overcome paving the way for more efficient propulsion systems for future aircraft, fulfilling the aims of the NATEP programme.” Skillett commended the AMRC’s contribution to the project, adding: “The AMRC provided key insight and experience with handling the fibres, both in their coated and uncoated forms. Without its input, the CICSiC project would not have been as successful and the next generation equipment would not have gained as much interest.” Andy Whitham, director of process development at Cygnet Texkimp says: “Working on this project has allowed us to understand the challenges associated with handling very delicate ceramic fibres. These are unusual in some of their characteristics, so having first-hand experience of the difficulties involved in their use is invaluable. Beyond that, the opportunity to work with new partners from outside Cygnet Texkimp’s main sectors, always provides a different view on the machinery we might supply for a given application.” The CICSiC project showcases the excellent work done by AMRC’s composites team and the spread of its activities in the SiC-SiC Composites area. It promotes and accelerates the development and manufacture of advanced materials technology and high strength, high temperature materials such as ceramic matrix composites within the UK supply chain. CICSiC was funded by NATEP, a £15 million programme to develop 60 aerospace technologies in the UK aerospace supply chain. Funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute and managed by ADS, it is aimed at SMEs to develop innovative technologies to enhance their capabilities and increase their ability to win new business. www.amrc.co.uk Nicalon fibres (circled) used as binder yarns in an eight-layer orthogonal 3D woven textile made up of 12k PAN fibres (above) Scan here for more AMRC articles The AMRC provided key insight and experience with handling the fibres, both in their coated and uncoated forms
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