Articles Tagged with ''composites assembly''

REDDITCH, UK—GKN Aerospace has begun a project that aims to automate the assembly of aircraft structures with the goal of creating high-quality wing structures 30 percent faster than is possible today.

EVERETT, WA—Boeing will build a new factory here to make wings for its 777X wide body jet, assuring more than a decade of work on advanced composite materials for thousands of Snohomish County workers. The facility will be adjacent to the final assembly line for the jet.

Weight issues are not something that’s common with U.S. Army soldiers. The military organization prides itself on running a lean, mean fighting machine. But, even so, the Army is on a weight-loss program when it comes to vehicles, artillery, ordnance, helmets, electronic gear and other devices.

Wichita, KS, calls itself the Air Capital of the World. The city has a long, proud heritage of aerospace manufacturing.

For decades, automotive engineers have looked to the aerospace industry for new ideas. Back in the 1930s and 1950s, Detroit was inspired by the sleek designs of innovative airplanes such as the Northrop Alpha and the Grumman F4F Wildcat.

Several big hurdles need to be overcome before there will be more widespread use of carbon-fiber composites in the auto industry. Major issues include material cost, high-volume processing, repeatable quality and overall cost effectiveness.

Carbon-fiber composites offer numerous benefits to automotive manufacturers, such as weight reduction. However, they pose a wide variety of joining challenges to engineers, who must choose between adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening. Each assembly process has many pros and cons.

Carbon-fiber composites offer numerous benefits to automotive manufacturers, such as weight reduction. However, they pose a wide variety of joining challenges to engineers, who must choose between mechanical fastening or adhesive bonding. Each assembly process has many pros and cons that must be evaluated.

Aircraft Technologies Inc. makes sinks, toilets and other assemblies for airframe manufacturers, completion centers, and maintenance and repair facilities.

DUNCAN, SC—Staubli Robotics has introduced a new robot, the RX170 high-speed machining robot, for fast, accurate milling of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers and other composite materials.