Navigating intricacy with ease
In the dynamic world of aerospace manufacturing, innovation is key to meeting the demands of lightweight and high-performance materials. Two leading companies, Exactaform and Mapal, are showcasing their latest solutions at major exhibitions, aiming to address the challenges posed by materials like carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP).
At Advanced Engineering, Mapal will present a range of innovative tooling solutions tailored to the aerospace, automotive, and fluid power sectors. Meanwhile, at EMO in Hannover, cutting tool manufacturer Paul Horn will demonstrate live machining on four different machine tools, focusing on innovative geometries, advanced coatings, and optimized cutting strategies.
Exactaform, a global leader in PCD and carbide cutting tools, has seen a parallel need for innovation due to the industry's material evolution. The company is currently developing a advanced auto parts generation of cutting tools designed to meet the growing demands of modern aerospace machining, particularly for stacked materials like CFRP/Titanium and CFRP/Aluminium.
The aerospace industry's increasing use of CFRP is driven by its lightweight and high-strength properties. However, CFRP presents challenges such as excessive thrust force, heat generation, and poor heat dissipation during drilling, which can compromise structural integrity. A common mistake in the industry is not accounting for fibre orientation when drilling CFRP parts, leading to issues like tool wear, delamination, and fraying of material layers.
Exactaform's tooling design addresses these challenges by combining specialized drill geometries with optimized cutting parameters, and by ensuring tools are manufactured to sharp tolerances. The company is adapting to customer needs by delivering spindle-ready solutions designed in close collaboration with customers, manufactured with precision and consistency, and tested to the highest standards before delivery.
Brookhouse Aerospace is another company investing in innovation, having invested over £500,000 in additional machinery to extend its engineering capabilities. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin is upgrading the Republic of Korea Air Force's F-16 Block 52 flight simulators to mirror the advanced capabilities of its modernised F-16 Viper (F-16V) aircraft.
The National Composites Centre (NCC) is also embracing innovation, having adopted Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud and extended its use to other innovation centres within the UK High Value Manufacturing Catapult network.
As the aerospace industry continues to evolve, it's clear that innovations in machining and manufacturing will play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of what's possible. With companies like Exactaform, Mapal, and Paul Horn leading the way, we can expect to see even more advancements in the near future.
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