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5-axis machining of A380 wing components
13 Mar 2008
A five-axis horizontal machining centre is helping Magellan Aerospace UK cut cycle times and eliminated fettling operations on false rear spar trailing edges for the Airbus A380. The twin-pallet, EcoSpeed F HT system from DS Technology (UK) allows faster cutting cycles and parts are completed in just two clampings rather than three or four separate operations on two different machines.
The biggest advantage though is the elimination of fettling after machining. This has cut further time out of the manufacturing process and has dramatically improved workflow through the factory. Consequently, production lead-time for the trailing edges has been reduced by two weeks.
There is also less work-in-progress. The parts were previously transported after machining to another area of the factory for dye penetrant inspection and then back to the machine shop where they queued for fettling, which cannot be carried out before the inspection for technical reasons. This tortuous journey, and the attendant risk of damage to the components, is no longer necessary.
Magellan’s Engineering Manager Keith Summers commented, “We are currently reprogramming 26 sets of the handed A380 ribs in Catia to transfer production to the EcoSpeed F HT. So far we have completed five sets and not one of the components has required polishing after machining.”
The purchase of the £800,000 is a consequence of A380 production being ramped up from 1.5 aircraft per month in 2008 to four per month by 2010. Extra production capacity was needed at Bournemouth to cope with the increasing volumes, but more importantly a different type of machine was considered necessary, as the existing machining centres were too large to produce the relatively small trailing edge components economically.
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