midlands aerospace alliance

Midlands

AerospAcedoing whAt we do best

on cseries

continentAL driFt

the View FroM westMinster

AUtoMAtion innoVAtion

TransNetAero opens doors to Europe – P7

Why industrial strategy is good for UK aerospace – P12

New assembly system for Rolls-Royce – P2

M A G A Z I N EISSUE 33. AUTUMN 2013

CUTTING-EDGE MIDLANDS TECHNOLOGIES ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND ITS ENGINES, PAGE 3

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02 Midlands aEROsPaCE

Update OnlinE: WWW.MIDLANDSAEROSPACE.ORG.UK/NEWS

www.exmac.co.uk

An innovative method of automated assembly, designed by Exmac Automation for Rolls-Royce in

Derby, proved such a success that Rolls-Royce decided to install the same system in its new Singapore plant.

A first for the aerospace industry, the automated process for the transportation, assembly and build of Rolls-Royce’s large civil engines was developed by Worcester-based Exmac and the Rolls-Royce engineering team and installed over an eight-month timescale.

Exmac was awarded the £1.1m project to design and build a more controlled way of transferring engines around the Rolls-Royce facility using an automated skillet-based flowline system supplemented by automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

Exmac’s experience installing systems into automotive assembly plants was a major factor in its contract win, as was the company’s flexibility to design

a fit-for-purpose solution. Rolls-Royce subsequently decided to combine the Derby and Singapore contracts, with the system installed in Derby first and then further developed for Singapore.

The two projects for the Derby plant were an indexed flowline for the assembly of engine fan cases and a build platform that would enable engineers to assemble the engine core in modules. In essence, that meant a lightweight and moveable process with simple drive systems and very little fixed infrastructure – so there would be no pits in the floor and no heavy steel work.

Two different types of equipment were involved: an indexing skillet flowline to move

the fan case through six assembly stations; and a moveable build platform to support assembly of the vertical engine core of a variety of engines.

The Derby fan case flowline is a single six-station line 8m wide. Skillets are 3m wide and feature an integral slewing ring to provide assembly operators with access to all sides of the unit by rotating the fan case as it moves through the build process.

When the assembled fan cases reach the end of the flowline, they are transferred to a build platform – a flexible, split platform with a number of pre-set heights that can be pre-programmed to provide the optimum height for the required stage of the assembly process and 360 degree access for the operators at the various pre-set heights. All functions are programmed to operate automatically.

A SUCCESSFUL HOME MARkET INSTALLATION HAS PROvIDED A SPRINGBOARD TO ExPORT FOR ROLLS-ROyCE SUPPLIER AND MAA MEMBER ExMAC AUTOMATION.

AUtoMAtion innoVAtion

Exmac’s experience installing systems into automotive assembly plants was a major factor in its contract win.

An automotive production line approach has been successfully introduced in Rolls-Royce’s Derby site.

Midlands aEROsPaCE 03

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ITS PRATT & WHITNEy GEARED TURBOFAN ENGINES.

Midlands aerospace has welcomed the first flight of Bombardier’s innovative super-efficient CSeries narrowbody airliner, the Canadian

company’s 110-140 seat challenger to small airliners offered by Airbus and Boeing.

And the Midlands does what it does best for the CSeries: companies from across the region are contributing cutting-edge mechanical, hydraulic, electronic and gas turbine technologies to enhance the performance of the aircraft and that of its Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G geared turbofan engines.n Controlling extra lift: UTC Aerospace Systems –

Actuation Systems Wolverhampton is responsible for the high-lift (flap and slat) actuation system at the front and rear of the wings.

n squeezing air into the engines: ITP Engines UK, located in Lincoln and Leicester, makes sophisticated integrally bladed rotors (IBRs) which squeeze air through the engine’s compressor system.

n Keeping the engines cool: UTC Aerospace Systems subsidiary HS Marston Aerospace, also based in Wolverhampton, makes high-performing heat exchangers for the engines.

n slowing the aircraft on landing: UTC Aerospace Systems – Actuation Systems also supplies the thrust reverser actuation system (TRAS) which pushes engine air forwards after landing.

Coventry’s Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems is supplying its advanced electric braking system, known as Ebrake, for the CSeries. Manufactured in Coventry is the mechanical actuator complete with its gears, housing and cover.

n Keeping the aircraft safe: UTC Aerospace Systems – Actuation Systems makes the power door opening system (PDOS) – the actuators on the nacelle doors

that maintenance engineers use to access the engine.At lower levels of the supply chain, Midlands

companies are providing their special expertise to the CSeries. One example is Atlas Composites of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, which supported Senior Aerospace’s engineering team to develop environmental control system ducts (which circulate air inside the aircraft) in lightweight composite materials.

Another is Comar Engineering of Wolverhampton which designed and made several static test rigs for UTC Aerospace Systems – Actuation Systems. These included rigs for complete wing systems as well as rigs for flaps, slats, power drive units and the TRAS, several in both right and left versions for the respective wings.

newsON THE WEB

➔ dunlop has secured a £1.5m government grant to develop next-genera-tion aircraft tyres.

➔ Staffordshire-based KMF has invested more than £800,000 in a new laser punch machine.

➔ Derby-based composite compo-nents manufacturer pentaxia targets ex-pansion.

➔ cinch connectors and Arrowsmith have both received the bronze SC21 award.

➔ Worcester-based resource group division Resource UAS has received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accreditation as a ‘qualified entity’ for small unmanned aircraft (SUA).

www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk

CLICk THROUGH TO THE MAA WEBSITE FOR CURRENT NEWS ON MEMBERS’ ACTIvITIES:

www.midlands aerospace.org.uk/news

Bombardier’s CSeries touches down at the end of first flight. Photo: Bombardier

MidLAnds does whAt it does best For cseries

new directors Join MAA boArdFollowing the 2013 Maa annual General Meeting, it was confirmed that member companies had re-elected Craig askew of TT electronics semelab as a director. simon Beech of Bulwell Precision and adrian leatherland of Resource Group stood down (simon after serving for eight years) and both were warmly thanked. Their places – and an additional vacant position – were taken by newly elected directors Mike Beirns of Clamonta, alan duffield of Winbro Group Technologies and Peter smith of nasmyth Group (pictured above with Maa chief executive andrew Mair).


AsK the eXpertsRECRUITMENT AND TRAINING

The robust good health of civil aerospace may be sweet news for the Midlands supply chain but it could

turn sour if the companies find their capacity to meet demand impaired by a shortage of skilled workers.

Continued growth and sustainability could be at risk unless more interest in the sector is developed among both current and future generations of engineers, warns MAA member Jonathan Lee Recruitment.

“The sector’s strength comes from diversity and innovation, which in turn depends on a continual supply of both experienced and aspiring engineers,” says Matthew Heath, Jonathan Lee Managing Consultant for Aerospace, Defence and Aviation.

Competition for talent has encouraged companies to take a proactive approach to their staffing. James Charlett of the Consilium Group says technical recruitment consultants are as likely now to be engaged to meet companies’ long-term requirements – their ‘future proofing’ – as for the quick turnaround solutions to immediate skills gaps.

Since 2001, Warwickshire-based Consilium – an MAA member – has partnered with numerous aerospace companies as their technical recruitment supplier. It is the sole recruitment provider to the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry.

“During the three years of our relationship,

we have fulfilled some of the most technically challenging hires in the engineering sector and supported the MTC in training and development of its own engineers through its extensive apprenticeship and graduate programmes,” said James Charlett.

The engineering background of Consilium’s own staff gives it a strong understanding of clients’ requirements. It deploys specialist search techniques to locate the best candidates. Says James Charlett: “We understand how important it is to our clients’ planning to know they have the correct level of expertise. Consilium supports them in achieving that aim, however challenging the brief is.”

Jonathan Lee’s Heath says many skills from other sectors such as in-cabin entertainment and electronics, or fuel and engine management systems are directly transferable, so one solution for aerospace (in addition to inspiring future generations to take an interest in the field) could be to look

for talent from other sectors. “Employees want secure jobs in fields that interest them, and aerospace is sometimes seen as risky or inaccessible. Opportunities in the sector are varied and considerable, and the future is equally bright, but despite this a shortage of UK-based qualified staff is affecting the whole industry across a spectrum of disciplines.

“The fact that aerospace is one of several manufacturing industries in the Midlands is a great plus point for the region.”

Jonathan Lee’s expertise in the multi-industry skills cross-pollination approach comes from industry knowledge and close client and candidate relationships. “This allows them to make a value comparison judgement, opening up a skills-deficient sector to a far broader talent-pool,” says Heath.n The MAA has a number of other top-flight recruitment consultancies among its membership. They include Concept Resourcing of Dudley, CSP Technical Recruitment of Leicester, Encore Personnel of Leicester, Euro-Projects Recruitment of Coalville, Kelly Engineering Resources of Birmingham, Network Recruitment Partnership of Birmingham, Syntax Consultancy of Derby and Volt of Derby. n Please see the MAA Capabilities Directory, or visit www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk/members for more information and contact details.

MidLAnds hAs tALentMIDLANDS AEROSPACE COMPETES FOR THE BEST TALENT IN A GLOBAL ARENA. FINDING, TRAINING, DEvELOPING AND RETAINING THE RIGHT CANDIDATES IS INCREASINGLy THE WORk OF SPECIALISTS.

“A shortage of UK-based qualified staff is affecting the whole industry across a spectrum of disciplines.”

A trio of Midlands business, education and government

interests are behind an innovative approach to improving business performance through training and development.

The Wolverhampton Business Solutions Centre (WBSC), a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton City Council and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, is geared to providing access to a

range of collaborative options to support business growth.

As an example, the university, working in partnership with Shropshire-based COGS, has developed a series of six one-day workshops designed specifically for small businesses. The workshops cover topics from finance, employing staff and marketing through to social media, tendering and lean office techniques.

Elsewhere, WBSC is promoting

an offer that enables SMEs in the West Midlands which employ University of Wolverhampton graduate interns to take advantage of bursaries of up to £850. The programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), supports business while helping graduates with work placements that will stand them in good stead for their future careers.

Initiatives such as these helped the WBSC win the prestigious

Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year category at the annual Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards last spring.

The judges said the WBSC “demonstrated a highly collaborative approach among several institutions and agencies for the clear benefit of companies and economic development”.

innovative initiatives win kudos for wbsc

www.wolverhamptonbsc.com


strAtegYGETTING THE MOST FROM AIRSHOWS

“Our industry is not one where a giveaway, glass of wine or brochure will persuade anyone to make a decision.”

The Midlands presence at Le Bourget, with 10 companies exhibiting, was the largest regional stand within the UK

Pavilion. Part of the reason for that is the value that MAA members place on airshows as part of their marketing strategy.

“We had a very successful show,”reported one exhibitor, citing several appointments, plenty of interest at the show and follow-up meetings already arranged.

Added another: “We believe we will sign some good contracts that will more than cover our costs [of exhibiting] – and our attendance at the show will have increased our visibility to the business world.”

Pete Griffiths, business development manager of Sigma Precision Components UK, said airshows form “an integral part of our general approach towards marketing, and general PR”.

“Presenting our company to the industry, via the use of a stand, ensures we have all of the information, people and products around us at precisely the time we need them.

“The shows ensure we are co-ordinated, together, prepared and on message in a specific location for a clearly defined amount of time.”

Griffiths said Sigma shies away from gimmicks. “Our industry is not one where a giveaway, glass of wine or brochure will persuade anyone to make a decision,” he said.

Delcam’s Peter Dickin said airshows are an “important part” of the company’s strategy to expand the aerospace part of its business, which currently stands at about 12%. An

airshow provides the opportunity to meet customers and identify prospects. Paris with the MAA, he said, was “as expected. Most of the people we met [were] very optimistic over the future of the industry. The conversations at Paris confirmed our expectations of continued growth in the aerospace industry.”

Alan Cooper, managing director of Westmoreland Mechanical Testing and Research, said Paris with the MAA produced results that were “better than we expected as it was our first airshow exhibiting; better for us than the Advanced Engineering show last year.”

Based on the company’s experience in Paris with the MAA, Cooper sees value in producing pre-show invitations, reducing the number of people manning the stand (in his case, from four to three) and rotating the technical liaison member each day.

MAA chief executive Andrew Mair said: “Our members have consistently found that airshows are one of the most valuable parts of their overall marketing campaigns. They do present opportunities you don’t get elsewhere, and the environment of the exhibition hall puts people in a good frame of mind for making new contacts.”

eXhibitionisM MAA MEMBERS WHO ExHIBITED WITH THE MAA AT THE PARIS AIRSHOW IN JUNE – A MIx OF AIRSHOW vETERANS AND NOvICES – OFFER THEIR vIEWS AND ADvICE ON GETTING THE MOST FROM A SHOW.

pLAnning YoUr Airshow strAtegYIncluding airshows in long-term marketing plans makes good business sense.

Major airshows in the next year include:n Bahrain International Airshow, 16-18

January 2014 n Singapore Airshow, 11-16 Februaryn ILA Berlin, 20-25 May n Farnborough International, 14-20 July

Each promotes itself as the gateway to an important regional market, a point reiterated by the MAA in conjunction with its planned presence at two of the shows, Berlin and Farnborough.

After a successful foray to ILA Berlin in 2012, the MAA is managing the UK Aerospace Suppliers Village at the 2014 show on behalf of the UK as a whole. MAA marketing manager Emma Burgess says ILA “gets you to the heart of Germany’s aerospace industry which has doubled since the late 1990s and is now Europe’s third-largest.”

For Farnborough 2014, MAA members have been fast off the mark in booking their exhibition space for show next July with the MAA: as Midlands Aerospace went to press, more than half the pods had been taken.

n Come to the MAA meeting on 18 November to learn more about exhibiting at ILA Berlin and Farnborough 2014.

Business Minister Michael Fallon meets Maa exhibitors on the stand at Paris.


trAnsnetAeroINTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

Six independent aerospace clusters in north-west Europe have banded together in an ambitious move

to foster cross-border collaboration in business, innovation and training.

Called TransNetAero, the network draws its members from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. The MAA is the UK participant.

Launched earlier this year, the network is geared to helping member organisations understand aerospace customer requirements and access technology, innovation, skills and training resources across Europe. It is supported by the European Union.

Malcolm Harbour, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands, hailed the initiative. “TransNetAero is extremely well-positioned,” he said. “It’s what we’re trying to do for the whole European economy.”

He said this kind of network has been important in the automotive supply chain, particularly in working with major customers, understanding quality standards and the like.

“What’s important is that manufacturers

are looking to give the supply chain more responsibility in design and manufacturing, which will be higher value work.”

The TransNetAero partners describe themselves as a self-selecting group of smaller European aerospace clusters, or ones hidden behind other industries in their home regions, which recognise that closer collaboration with each other will benefit their respective supply chain companies.

The advantages for MAA members, for instance, will be increased knowledge about the business and technology requirements of new customers in a variety of aerospace sectors; access to technology and innovation expertise at European aerospace R&D

institutes; and specialist skills and training bringing together the best available across Europe.

The network has already commissioned three work packages to advance its strategic objectives:n ‘Transnational business plans and

technology road maps for SMEs’, led by the MAA;

n ‘Transnational certification courses and EU Aerospace Master’s programme based on expertise of centres of excellence’, led by the German Aerospace Academy;

n ‘Platform for transnational innovation and collaboration’, led by CESI Nord Ouest.As well as increasing the innovative

capacity and competitiveness of the supply chain, especially SMEs, the TransNetAero partners hope to encourage knowledge and technology transfer between research and industry, develop advanced training programmes and attract skilled staff to aerospace.

“These are truly ambitious objectives which we anticipate will open fresh horizons for many MAA member organisations,” said MAA chief executive Dr Andrew Mair.

continentAL driFtA NEW NETWORk OF EUROPEAN AEROSPACE CLUSTERS HOLDS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR MIDLANDS SUPPLy CHAIN COMPANIES.

german Aerospace Academy (de)Baden-Württemberg Aerospace ForumSteinbeis University Berlin (SHB)Industry Association of Baden-Württemberg

swiss Aerospace cluster (ch)University of St Gallen, Centre of Aviation Competence ETH Zürich, Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry Lucerne University of Applied Science

Midlands Aerospace Alliance (UK)netherlands Aerospace group (nL)centre spatial de Liège (be)

Skywin Aerospace Cluster of WallonieUniversité de Liège

cesi (Fr)Normandie AeroEspace EMC2, Cluster for complex composites

trAnsnetAero pArtners And their AFFiLiAtes

“TransNetAero is extremely well-positioned. It’s what we’re trying to do for the whole European economy.”

Malcolm Harbour, MEP for the West Midlands


nAtepCOLLABORATIVE INNOVATION

“It’s an exciting start.” That’s the way Dr Dave Dawson, the new full-time Programme Director

of the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP), sees progress under the £40m initiative.

“The bids that have been put forward so far demonstrate the innovative nature of the UK’s aerospace supply chain, and its determination to stay ahead of the competition in an increasingly challenging global market,” he said.

NATEP, based on the MAA’s successful Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (ATEP) that ran in two phases from 2006-2012, was launched at the Paris Airshow under the auspices of the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP).

Dr Dawson’s comments followed the announcement on 10 October that a second round of NATEP bidding would open in January 2014.

The announcement was made by Welsh Secretary David Jones at a networking event hosted by aerospace trade organisation ADS Group. Jones hailed NATEP as “testament to the commitment” of the UK government to making Britain the best place in the world for aerospace businesses.

“I would encourage businesses to take advantage of this new opportunity to get the

additional support they need,” he said.Bids with a value of £1.2m have already

been submitted since the joint industry and government-funded programme was launched in June.

The successful first round bids will be announced in January 2014.

Bridget Day, NATEP Deputy Programme Director, was pleased with the spread and variety of the nine proposals received so far. “They cover the country and a lot of different end users,” she said.

A number of companies were preparing ideas to discuss with the NATEP project team, setting the scene for good industry support during the series of calls for proposals. “The message is ‘If you’re interested in technology, this is an exciting opportunity’. We have funding available, and we will actively help companies new to R&D.

“The benefits are far-reaching, as can be seen from the results of projects completed under the Midlands-run ATEP schemes.”

NATEP is an AGP programme, supported by £23m from the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) and £17m from industry. It will develop 100 new technologies in the UK aerospace supply chain between now and 2017.

The programme is designed to help SMEs work collaboratively with partners such as research bodies and end users to develop new technologies, putting them in a competitive position to win future contracts.

Dr Dawson said the programme will be phased over five competitive calls at six-month intervals.

He reminded interested companies of the programme details:n The collaboration must involve a supply

chain partnership and may include an HVM Catapult centre (or other academic partner).

n Technology developed must have exploitation potential, with end user involvement; i.e. Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4-6.

n Grants, usually 50% of spend, will range from £50,000 to £150,000.

n Projects must have the potential to create or safeguard jobs and should have a duration of up to 18 months.NATEP is managed by ADS and delivered

by the regional aerospace associations. Day said the support and sponsorship

of prime contractors Airbus, Aero Engine Controls, Bombardier, GKN, Rolls-Royce and Spirit Aerospace is indicative of industry’s enthusiasm for NATEP.

“They are giving their support in a number of ways,” she said. “That includes helping to describe the technology needs of the future – the technology roadmap for the supply chain.”

COME AND SEE THE MAA ON STAND B13 AT AERO ENGINEERING 2013 TO DISCUSS NATEP.

reAdY For tAKeoFFWITH THE SECOND CALL FOR PROJECTS IN EARLy 2014, THE NATIONAL AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGy ExPLOITATION PROGRAMME (NATEP) IS POISED FOR TAkEOFF…

For enquiries and applications: [email protected] or [email protected]

“The message is ‘If you’re interested in technology, this is an exciting opportunity’. We have funding available, and we will actively help companies new to R&D.”

“The benefits are far-reach-ing, as can be seen from the results of projects completed under the ATEP schemes.”

12-13 november | nEC, Birmingham


nAtepCOLLABORATIVE INNOVATION

Participation in ATEP brought major benefits to Advanced Chemical Etching Ltd (ACE) of Telford beyond

the technical scope of the projects in which it was involved.

As chairman Alan Rollason puts it, ATEP was a catalyst: it helped triple his company’s turnover, double the size of its premises and fundamentally alter ACE’s approach to the way it operates.

“ATEP changed our mentality,” said Rollason. “We’re constantly thinking outside the box, but with greater discipline. It really helped our people.”

ACE was invited to participate in two projects, under ATEP 1 and 2 respectively, by its client HS Marston (now part of UTC Aerospace Systems). The first sought to develop new alloys in heat exchangers; the second modelled a novel surface cooler to increase the effectiveness of engine thermal management. Rolls-Royce was the participating end-user in both projects.

“We were a relatively small company at the time with turnover of about £1m,” said Rollason. “We’d always wanted to add a laboratory capability, which was an expensive undertaking. Our share of the first ATEP investment was about £15,000 which allowed us to buy a test etching machine. We then financed and built a lab around it.

“The R&D side of our business has grown as a result of that initial decision. It was the catalyst that set us off on that road.”

One secondary result of the research was ACE’s discovery of an alternative to hydrofluoric acid (HF) for etching titanium. That was the basis for a revolutionary process currently in use.

At least as important in the long run for ACE – at 14 years old still a young company – was the insight it gained into how other, bigger companies operate, plus links with the University of Wolverhampton and the

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme.

The company continues to expand. Over the last six months, it has doubled its floor space, spent about £500,000 on new plant and equipment, hired staff, added a layer of senior management with a head of R&D and a new managing director. Its plan is to double again in the next three years.

Bridget Day, MAA Innovation and Technology Manager at the time, observed that ACE, while still an SME, had adopted a ‘bigger company’ mentality and approach. Its attitude to R&D and working with universities was a key element in that transition.

“You can see a wholesale jump in the size of the company and how it operates,” she said. “They’re moving from a company used to offering development quantities, to a company able to offer production quantities.”

The Aircraft Tyres Finite Element Modelling (ATFEM) project, part-

funded by ATEP 2, is a good example of the innovative results that can be achieved with close industrial cooperation.

The project was designed to develop a modelling process that would enable aircraft manufacturers to predict the characteristics of new tyres for

future aircraft programmes. It brought mid-sized company Dunlop Aircraft Tyres together with the University of Birmingham and Airbus.

The research partners studied the hyperelastic properties of the rubbers and fibres used in tyre fabrication in conjunction with the loads that aircraft operations place on them to develop an automated modelling system for

a range of future tyre designs. Airbus, the customer,

regularly provided input to Dunlop and the university-led research team on the required direction for the FE modelling work and its future directions, enhancing the value of the collaborative effort.

“This was a successful project and enabled Dunlop to develop our capabilities with respect to FEA as

well as providing Airbus with key data on the tyres,” said Dunlop chief designer Steve Barlow.

n Based on its successful ATEP project, Dunlop has secured a £1.5m grant to develop next-generation aircraft tyres – see link, pg 3

AtFeM: new design Methods For tYres

Atep wAs A ‘cAtALYst’

Atep cAse stUdies

a selection of leadframes produced by advanced

Chemical Etchings.

www.ace-uk.net

www.dunlopaircrafttyres .com


cApAbiLitiesMACHINING AND TOOLS

The rigorous demands of the aerospace industry put increasingly stringent requirements on advanced materials and the tools and machines

designed to work them. The benefits that materials such as carbon fibre

composites, titanium and other exotic metals provide for new generation aircraft rely on the accuracy and reliability of the processes they undergo during manufacturing.

Innovations developed or supplied by companies such as Mills CNC, ITC, Mitsubishi Materials Tools and MA Ford are critically important in realising these benefits.

Mills cnc is the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor of Doosan machine tools, one of the global ‘Top 5’ in metal-cutting products.

Based in Warwick, Mills CNC handles an extensive range of machines across the spectrum of metalwork. These include lathes and turning centres, machining

centres, mill-turn centres, boring machines and double-column milling machines, in a range of sizes and specifications.

More than 50% of large turning centres sold in 2012 in the UK and Ireland were Doosan machines supplied by Mills CNC.

The CNC Training Academy, established by Mills CNC in 2010, offers ‘best-in-class’ programmer training on FANUC, Heidenhain and Siemens control technology. The academy also offers manufacturers a range of advanced programmer training courses on FeatureCAM, NC Guide and CIMCO Edit among others, as well as Doosan machine tool-specific maintenance training and operator training.

Located at Mills CNC’s facility in Leamington Spa, the CNC Training Academy provides professionally-delivered, comprehensive and cost-competitive training designed to help precision manufacturers – OEMs through to

the cUtting edge

The Midlands is home to a cluster of suppliers who have the skills and expertise to process advanced aerospace metals and composite parts and materials, in prototype and production volumes. Supporting them are agents and suppliers of precision tools and equipment who find a ready market in the region’s aerospace supply chain for innovations in industrial and manufacturing tools and processes. In this roundup feature, Midlands Aerospace looks at a representative sample of companies whose work contributes to the Midlands’ reputation for excellence in machining.

The new Vds drill from iTC in action.


Company contact details: www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk/members

precision subcontractors – and training institutions and organisations get the best from their machine tools.

new tApping soLUtion: A recently-launched high performance solution for multipurpose tapping is now on offer from the industrial tooling corporation (itc) after the Staffordshire-based company became official distributor for the new VariTap tapping line from WIDIA.

VariTap has been manufactured with high vanadium HSS-E, which improves wear resistance and subsequently extends tool life. The line comes in a variety of specifications, including inch and metric sizes, pitch diameter, classes of fit, chamfer styles and coatings, which makes it suitable for machining centres with small lot sizes and frequent material changes.

ITC is confident that the products it supplies and manufactures are the best available for each task. It holds more than 100,000 HSS Co and Solid Carbide tools on the shelf ready for immediate despatch and can also provide a fast modification service.

Said a spokesman: “As a specialist tooling supplier, we believe that good customer service is the key to success. We stock and manufacture the best quality products, whether standard or special, and our staff are trained to provide the best back-up to our customers.”

VersAtiLe new hss driLL: The high-mix low-volume production, fast delivery and cost reduction pressures that are features of the aerospace manufacturing sector demand tooling of exceptional quality.

A recently developed HSS drill from Mitsubishi Materials tools, designed for versatility, reliability and economy, is pitched at meeting those criteria.

The new tool, featuring a milling cutter cylindrical shank, is part of Mitsubishi’s SE high precision drill series. It was developed for versatility to be suitable for a wide range of work materials, stability to avoid the problems of sudden failure, and economic efficiency for reduced production costs.

The HSS drill features a balance of cutting edge sharpness and wear resistance by D-STH surface treatment, which the company says ensures fewer burrs and adhesions, in comparison to standard coating.

eXtreMe properties: A new ceramic coating, called CERAedge, that claims the ability to machine both the materials that make up a titanium-carbon fibre composite (CFRP) stack equally well, is being promoted by sole distributor MA Ford europe.

Machining a titanium-composite stack “has been a

major problem in the past for the aerospace industry,” says managing director David Ward. CERAedge has been extensively tested in the USA, where it was developed, and is now offered as a non-stock standard in Europe.

The extreme properties of the newly developed coating are described as combining the heat resistance of conventional AlTiN coating with the hardness and smoothness of amorphous diamond coatings, making it ideal for machining titanium-clad composite materials, aluminium and high silicon aluminium.

In tests, CERAedge coated tools have shown a performance improvement of 250-870% over conventional tools, depending on the material machined.

AerospAce test rigs: Test rigs for the aerospace industry are an area of focus for numerous Midlands companies, including Heinrich Georg UK and Comar Engineering.

heinrich georg provides turnkey solutions using hydraulic and/or electronic loading systems for production acceptance, qualification and system test rigs. A spokesman said: “We are experts in innovative, flexible, high speed, signal processing, data acquisition and control systems.”

The UK subsidiary, based in Wolverhampton, has supplied rigs for testing actuators, nose wheel steering, wing component functions and power drive units, among others.

Also based in Wolverhampton is comar engineering, a specialist in the design and manufacture of special purpose test equipment.

The company works with Tier 1 manufacturers and has produced full Iron Bird systems as well as individual unit level machines. It has supplied test rigs for proof pressure, fatigue, endurance and impulse testing and worked on programmes including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380.

torQUe speciAList: Also based in the Midlands is one of the world’s leading torque specialists, norbar torque tools of Banbury, Oxfordshire. Norbar specialises in the design, development and production of torque tightening and measuring equipment, especially for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) applications.

In addition to its large range of off-the-shelf torque, fastener and bolting related product and services, Norbar also offers a specialist ‘engineered to order’ service.

cApAbiLitiesMACHINING AND TOOLS

Machining a titanium-composite stack has been a major problem in the past for the aerospace industry.

In tests, CERAedge coated tools have shown a performance improvement of 250-870% over conventional tools, depending on the material machined.


The idea of an industrial strategy for Britain is achieving significant traction.

Successive governments baulked at the concept, of course – a reaction to the 1960s and ’70s when state involvement was seen as backward-looking, wasteful and meddlesome.

Intellectual fashion turned towards a faith in the rationality and efficiency of markets – a consensus that lasted several decades and, in the UK, saw the virtual disappearance of a number of big industries. Now industrial strategy is regaining credibility.

The 2008 crash showed us that financial markets in particular can be irrational and inefficient. The success of countries like Germany has reinforced the value of a long-term understanding between business and government on skills, technology, exports and business finance – while the long period of growth before the 2008 crash blinded many in business and government to the extent of Britain’s under-performance in such areas.

We have progressed a long way since I first mooted the idea of a designed industrial strategy two years ago, acknowledging predecessors including Michael Heseltine and Peter Mandelson. Three simple – but, until recently, quite controversial – ideas have now been accepted and are being applied.

First, government must operate strategically over the long term. There are critically important sectors such as

aerospace, energy and life sciences that have time horizons stretching well beyond a single Parliament.

Second, there are some classic market failures – notably in skills and innovation – where active partnership between government and business can produce huge spill-over benefits. That partnership is a fundamental principle underpinning the entire industrial strategy, whether co-investment, breaking into new export markets or tackling skills shortages.

And third, government has to be joined up. Government procurement is one example of where we cannot operate in disconnected silos

and fight just for the best price right now, without attending to longer-term economic benefits.

To help achieve sustainable growth, we announced a £1 billion package at Budget 2013, with matching private sector contributions, to support long-term R&D in the aerospace sector.

But we can’t rest on our laurels. It is becoming clear that the financial crash, and the long preceding period of exchange rate over-valuations and consumer debt-driven growth, did serious structural damage that will take time to repair.

In some cases, there has been a semi-permanent loss of skills. Supply chains have been hollowed out, which are hard to replace. There are repeated reports that firms are anxious to buy from UK suppliers as onshoring is seen as economically attractive. However, in some sectors they can no longer find enough UK-based companies able to supply or willing to bid. The supply chain aspect of the industrial strategy is crucial to addressing this problem and boosting UK competitiveness.

A year from now, the politicians will be getting into election mode, yet the best test of the usefulness of our work on industrial strategy is that it is election-proof – that there is sufficient support across the business world and across party lines to maintain a long-term focus. I am now optimistic that this will happen.

www.vincentcable.org.uk

“Critically important sectors such as aerospace... have time horizons stretching

well beyond a single Parliament”Business Secretary Vince Cable delivered the keynote speech at the Industrial

Strategy Conference, University of Warwick, on 11 September. Excerpted.

V i e w F r o M w e s t M i n s t e r

“We can’t rest on our laurels. It is becoming clear that the financial crash... did serious structural damage that will take time to repair.”

vince Cable with former apprentice

Sam Dutton at Midlands firm kMF.


networKing THE MAA’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Following the success of the MAA’s first annual conference last February, the alliance is ramping up planning for the second event, to be held on 18 March in Derby.

The first event packed the main hall at Rolls-Royce’s Learning and Development Centre as delegates heard industry leaders speak on ‘the visions and volumes every aerospace supplier needs to know’. MAA chief executive Andrew Mair said the conference gave Midlands supply chain companies access to vital knowledge to help them plan

their next business moves. The follow-up, he said, will focus on how Midlands aerospace companies (and the cluster as a whole) can build the capabilities they need to compete globally – with a special focus on the prospects and problems facing small firms.

Attendees at the 2013 event found it “useful and thought provoking”, “excellent, speakers interesting and turnout strong”, “an opportunity for reflective appraisal of our industry.”n Watch the MAA website for details.

Pernille Boisen, Chief Procurement Officer, Rolls-Royce, presents to the 160 participants

at the 2013 conference.

MArch dAte set For second MAA AnnUAL conFerence


proFiLeVIEW FROM THE BOARDROOM

The buzz of aerospace and the people he meets are what keep Clive Snowdon, who chairs both the MAA and Shimtech, engaged in the industry.

Q. how did YoU get into AerospAce?A. Rather by accident, actually. I qualified as an accountant and joined a large firm with interests across the spectrum of business. It was a great training in industry. I was recruited by Vickers, spent about 10 years in various roles and became divisional finance director of Hawker Siddeley Aerospace.

I left the sector for four or five years and then made a big step back with the purchase, with a partner, of Umeco in 1997. We grew Umeco from a £25m to a £500m company in 14 years. We were No 4 in the world in composites and No 3 in distribution through Pattonair, our supply chain specialist division. It was quite a journey.

I retired in 2011 after an unsuccessful bid to buy Pattonair, which Umeco was divesting, and became chairman of Shimtech later that year.

Q. whAt Keeps YoU engAged with AerospAce?A. It has a buzz. The scale of the industry fascinates me and you can see its long-term potential from an economic point of view. At the moment we’re in the best patch I can remember. So much of business is about contacts. You develop a network and level of expertise over time that you can leverage.

I’ve been on the MAA board about five years, chairman about three. It’s been a busy and occasionally difficult period, what with the RDAs going and other funding problems, so being able to spend a reasonable amount of time on that has been fortuitous. Now we’re moving on with bigger programmes.

Aerospace is in the best patch I can remember

“Most primes are nervous about the whole SME structure and the chronically weak financial capability of the supply chain. They’re always encouraging consolidation. That may be the way ahead.”

www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk

Q. do bUsinesses reLY too MUch on trAde AssociAtions And goVernMent?A. Not really. The support you get is very specialised. Any funding is for incremental projects rather than day-to-day operating costs.

Q. whAt’s the FUtUre For sMes in A gLobAL AerospAce enVironMent?A. That’s a delicate subject. Most primes are nervous about the whole SME structure and the chronically weak financial capability of the supply chain. They’re always encouraging consolidation. That may be the way ahead.

Q. whAt do regionAL indUstrY AssociAtions LiKe the MAA contribUte?A. There’s definitely a role for both national and regional associations. I was a council member of ADS, so I’ve seen this from both sides.

I was afraid ADS would want to take over the regional groups. That hasn’t been the case. They can’t support SMEs at the same level as regional associations do and a lot of small companies can’t afford to join the national body. There’s a clear distinction in what each does best and they help each other in many ways.

Q. iF YoU hAdn’t gone into AerospAce, where Might YoU be now?A. Originally I was going to train to be a stockbroker but the FTSE fell to an all-time low and all job offers disappeared. So I went down the accountancy route.

After 35 years I’ve become a fatalist. I was disappointed when the Pattonair deal fell over, but within two months another opportunity came along.

OnlinE: WWW.MIDLANDSAEROSPACE.ORG.UK/EVENTS

The Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) is the voice of companies in the British Midlands supplying global aerospace. Its 290 corporate members range from global aerospace players to SMEs. The MAA board comprises senior managers from Aero Engine Controls, UTAS Actuation Systems, Meggitt, Moog Aircraft Group and

Rolls-Royce, elected supply chain representatives and key regional partner bodies.

For additional copies of Midlands aerospace, or to add your colleagues to the distribution database, please contact the Maa by any of the means below.

For YoUr diArY

www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk/join

If you have a query or suggestion that you would like to make, please contact the MAA.

T: +44 (0) 2476 430250F: +44 (0) 2476 430251E: [email protected]

AFt AUtoMAtion Solihull Automated manufacturing systems.

cdi docUMent MAnAgeMent Walsall One-stop document management.

concept resoUrcing Dudley Recruitment consultancy.

dAVroMAtic precision Rugby Precision components.

epM technoLogY groUp DraycottLightweight composite components.

eVerArds QUALitY consULtAnts Sutton-in-Ashfield Quality improvement.

FActorYMAster Nuneaton Productivity software . gpsi eUrope Birmingham Integrated supply chain solutions.

heLAnder precision engineering Tewkesbury Complex finished parts from difficult materials.

hoLLYcroFt engineering HinckleyJigs, fixtures, tool design and manufacture.

inFotech enterprises Bristol Engineering design services.

KeLLY engineering resoUrces Birmingham Scientific and engineering recruitment. LinK 51 (storAge prodUcts) Telford Storage systems.

MidLAnd ALLoY Telford Metal products and components.

Mitech sYsteMs FloreDocument management.

pentAXiA Derby Composite components and tooling.

poeton indUstries Gloucester Surface engineering.

powerKUt Coventry Tooling, gauging and machined components.

QUALitY consULtAncY & inspection groUp Norton Canes Service provider.

reYnoLds porter chAMberLAin London Legal advice.

soUthwest MetAL Finishing ExeterMetal finishing and testing.

teX tech indUstries Kilkenny Fire blocking aviation seat materials .

VictoriA drop Forgings Willenhall Small drop forgings.

wArwicK MAnUFActUring groUp Coventry Research.

ZYteK AUtoMotiVe Lichfield Electronic control systems.

new MeMberscALendAr

AboUt the MAA…

trAnsnetAero eVent For eUropeAn AerospAce sUppLiers7 novemberManufacturing Technology Centre, CoventryIntroduction to opportunities in the new transnational network of European aerospace regions.

MAA Airshow preView18 november Maa offices, CoventryCome along to the MAA meet-ing to learn more about exhibit-ing at two of Europe’s leading airshows, ILA Berlin 2014 and Farnborough 2014.

trAnsnetAero eVent For eUropeAn AerospAce sUppLiers28-29 novemberRouen, FranceSuperb opportunity to meet Thales Air Systems (radar) and Snecma (rocket motors)

the MAA AnnUAL AerospAce conFerence 201418 March 2014Rolls-Royce learning and development Centre, derbyBuilding the capabilities that aerospace suppliers need to compete globally.

Aero engineering show 201312-13 november nEC, Birmingham Come and meet the MAA team at Stand B13 in this exhibition of leading technology and engineering supply chain capabilities.

For further information and to book your place at

an Maa event, please scan the QR code or visit www.midlandsaerospace. org.uk/events

Scan to visit the searchable database of all MAA member companies.

The Maa welcomes the following new members

Produced for the MAA by 44 Communications Ltd (P701)

midlands aerospace alliance

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