Processes to take off

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Processes to take off

The aviation industry is pushing its productivity

The mood in the aircraft construction industry is extremely positive. Full order books are waiting to be processed. Production managers therefore expect the Aerospace & Turbine Technology Days at Starrag's headquarters in Rorschacherberg to provide some practical ideas for making their manufacturing processes even more efficient. And on 18th and 19th June, they received a wide variety of them in large numbers.

The Aerospace & Turbine Technology Days are not a “normal” in-house exhibition. “The focus here is not on our Starrag machines, but on technical solutions for problems that production managers in aircraft and turbine construction are dealing with intensively,” emphasises Martin Buyle, CEO of the StarragTornos Group. Together with highly qualified partner companies from the fields of automation, digitalisation, metrology, tool presetting, etc., Starrag demonstrates live how various processes can be improved. The results not only inspire the visitors, but also Martin Buyle: “I am always fascinated by how, even with a wide range of workpieces, an intelligent combination of machine, tool and software can increase productivity, sometimes by a percentage of two to three digits.”

The process-orientated event concept has been extremely well received by participants for many years. Martin Buyle welcomed over 200 participants in June 2024: “All well-known aircraft manufacturers, OEMs, first-tier suppliers and manufacturers of power plant turbines are represented here. They come from all over the world, from America, Europe and Asia, from a total of 18 nations.”

His fellow board member Alexander Attenberger, responsible for Starrag sales, confirms this: “Our Technology Days, which we are organising for the 25th time, have become one of the most important forums for the aerospace industry. This is where production specialists can find out about the latest developments and exchange experiences with each other.” This is particularly interesting at the moment. The aviation industry is in a state of upheaval; Energy efficiency, lightweight construction and carbon footprint are becoming increasingly important and completely new drive concepts are being hotly debated.

What really matters

“Unit costs and reducing processing time – these are the general factors for success in the aircraft industry,” says Alexander Attenberger. “But that’s not enough. The aim is to save more energy and CO2 as early as the component manufacturing stage. Ultimately, the aircraft must become lighter in order to reduce fuel consumption. This is why titanium, for example, is conquering more and more fields of application. Machining the lightweight material requires special approaches, for which we provide assistance here, among other things.”

The aviation industry currently processes 100,000 tonnes of titanium every year, reports Sebastian Recke, Senior Key Account Manager at Gefertec GmbH, which was founded in 2015, in his keynote speech. With 3DMP® technology, his company offers a way of producing components such as turbine blades made of titanium and other demanding metallic materials using metal 3D printing in the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process. “This allows us to save almost 90 per cent of the materials needed when producing turbine blades,” emphasises Sebastian Recke. “Titanium is expensive and its production is associated with considerable CO2 emissions. In this respect, our process can contribute to significant savings.”

One of the stations that Starrag has set up in its Aerospace and Turbine Competence Centre showed what this might look like in practice: There, a Gefertec system prints turbine blades onto a disc-shaped carrier to produce a titanium blisk. As the component requires high-precision post-processing, it is digitised by the Starrag subsidiary TTL. The UK-based specialist for CAD/CAM and CNC machining uses this data to generate an NC program, which is then processed on a Starrag NB 151 machining centre. “A coherent process chain that saves time and money,” says Sebastian Recke.

Breaking new ground

Digitalisation and automation are the common thread running through the 13 stations, which were visited by the participants in small groups. Every single one deals with processes that promise to increase productivity. Live demonstrations, presentations with concrete figures and subsequent discussions create an atmosphere characterised by a spirit of optimism. “We want to break new ground together and advance the aerospace industry,” summarises Sales Director Attenberger.

The “Blade in one go” station is a signpost to where we should be heading. Here, a turbine blade is manufactured off the shelf in a fully automated process. Blank handling, machining and reclamping, as well as depositing the finished part in a cassette, all take place without the need for manual intervention by an employee. The Starrag LX 021 5-axis shovel machining centre is at the centre of the production facility. Partner Blum Novotest contributes to the high process reliability with its technologically leading measuring components.

Right next door is another highlight of the 2024 Technology Days – an automated LX 051 shovel machining centre, in which a Fanuc cobot including parts storage was integrated without increasing the footprint of the machine. “The plant can now be operated in night and weekend shifts with fewer or no operators. In addition, the productivity per square metre has increased significantly,” explains Alexander Attenberger.

“We want to break new ground together and advance the aerospace industry.”

Alexander Attenberger, CSO

He points out another station where a world première will be presented: The Berthiez VT 16 vertical turning machine has been completely redesigned. The developers replaced the geared motor used in previous machines with a high-speed direct drive. The hydrostatic machine concept also ensures maximum rigidity and efficiency. A new approach to high-pressure coolant supply makes the VT 16 ideal for machining aircraft engine components such as casings. The new development also has a lower overall carbon footprint.

Participants can also experience what a hydrostatic bearing can achieve with the Starrag STC 1250 HD. Thanks to maximum damping and rigidity, the machining centre designed for heavy-duty machining of titanium, Inconel and other high-strength alloys achieves a removal rate of a completely new dimension. The Siemens Smart Machining software, which was presented for the first time at the Technology Days, ensures reliable, collision- free machining. This term refers to an assistance system in the machine that uses 3D models to recognise potential collisions with a lead time of 800 msec and stops the machine if necessary.

The other stations also hit the mark. “It was worth travelling all the way to Rorschacherberg for the Aerospace & Turbine Technology Days,” said many visitors. “We are now up to date again when it comes to efficient production processes.”