The aerospace industry is the discipline that covers all activities focused on the design, construction and maintenance of aircraft. Its technological progress in recent years has gone hand in hand with the evolution of machining processes.
Machining is of great importance in the aerospace industry. The huge demand for aircraft and other components is being met thanks to new technologies implemented in machining centres. These technologies allow machines to produce higher-quality parts and components in shorter lead times.
Machining in the aerospace industry
Machining processes have evolved considerably in recent years. The design and construction of structural parts has grown since machines and cutting tools became capable of machining a wider range of metals and alloys.
Machining has also adapted to the requirements and demand of the aerospace industry. Structural aerospace parts can be machined regardless of their size. Indeed, some machining centres are specifically designed for large, complex parts.
Lathes and milling machines are, in fact, two of the machine types specifically suited to large parts. Machines capable of both turning and milling have a clear advantage when machining parts, as they can perform several operations in a single setup.
Machine tools also achieve exact precision in the design and manufacture of parts. The aerospace industry demands a very high degree of specialisation, which can only be achieved through machining processes, thanks to the specific features of each machine.
Another major advantage of machining in the aerospace industry is that it allows prototypes to be produced to see how a given part will turn out.
Types of machining for the aerospace industry
Whatever the needs of the aerospace industry, there is a machine tool to meet them. These machines can not only profile large workpieces, they also offer a unique degree of precision, which is essential in aerospace.
Engine and turbine casings, for example, require the highest precision. Today, this accuracy can only be achieved with a machine tool. These machines receive the working coordinates for each part's design and carry out the job as quickly and precisely as possible.
At the same time, these machine tools reduce manufacturing time so that parts are ready sooner, and at much lower production costs. Parts such as turbine blades and hydraulic valve blocks, which until a few years ago were very costly, can now be manufactured more easily.
These machines are also specifically equipped to work with the materials commonly used in aerospace. Carbon or glass fibre and various titanium or nickel alloys are materials that simply cannot be shaped without machining.
Machine tools are able to withstand the operational demands of this industry. The hardness of the alloys and the high temperatures involved in turbine manufacturing are just two examples.
Finally, machine tools make it possible to carry out any kind of modification or repair on damaged parts. The finishes achieved are of the highest precision and meet the quality standards required in this sector.
Applications of machining in the aerospace industry
It is a given that the aerospace industry is extremely demanding in terms of quality, technology and safety. Even so, machining processes have many applications in the manufacture of different aircraft parts.
Machine tools are responsible for designing and manufacturing many of the parts that make up an aircraft's components. One of the most important tasks today is the machining of airframe structural parts. Wing sections, engine components and landing gear systems, turbines, cylinders and wheels are typically manufactured by machining.
The importance of machining in the aerospace industry is crucial. Machine tools make it possible to design and manufacture all kinds of aircraft parts while meeting the sector's stringent quality and safety requirements, all within short lead times and at minimal production cost.