Page 21 - MMI-March-April-2022

Source: Sandvik Coromant

Other obstacles resistance, and other attributes. to multi-task. Rather than focus- Projections
If we look at the Automotive in- This approach adheres to tradi- ing on one machine, today’s en- estimate the
dustry, it is already making great tional aircraft designs where you gineers can operate four or five Aerospace
progress with new electrified have, to put it simply, a big tube machines at a time, which gives industry
and hybrid systems. Aerospace with wings and an engine. them less time or opportunities will be back
original equipment manufactur- Another approach is to explore to focus on specific processes. to where
ers (OEMs), meanwhile, are still other shapes of aircraft like delta But, what do we mean by a com- it was
working on these systems, and shape, blended wing body, and ponent solution? It refers to tak- pre-crisis
many of these developments are strut-braced wings, or where the ing a more holistic perspective, within the
not expected to find widespread engine is more integrated into which means it’s not just about next two
use before 2035. With smaller the fuselage. Here, engineers the tools Sandvik Coromant pro- to three
aircraft, which hold two to ten will more likely turn to compos- vides but also about assisting years. The
people, for example, these tech- ites, or composite-ceramic com- with the complete process. speed of this
recovery
nologies could appear earlier. binations, or mixed materials. That was the case when a Sand- will vary in
Reductions in noise, weight, and Whether these designs become vik Coromant customer in aero- different
emissions will, of course, affect popular remains to be seen. For space was experiencing chal- countries
how these electric systems per- now, we can be sure that more lenges when machining HRSA and regions.
form, but there are challenges. aluminum will be used, and materials. The customer’s exist-
If there are issues with an elec- also heat-resistant super alloys ing approach required multiple
tric vehicle (EV) like an automo- (HRSAs). HRSAs are typically machine tools, with poor chip
bile then it can stop at the side used for aircraft parts that face control and long cycle times.
of the road. However, that’s not extreme performance demands. There were issues with incon-
an option 10,000 feet up in the Their high strength at elevated sistent tool life and unreliable
air. What’s more, batteries are temperatures means the mate- processes, and the machining op-
heavy when designers and engi- rials can retain their hardness eration often required full-time
neers want planes that are light- when facing intense heat. monitoring by an operator.
er to travel longer distances. So, However, even the best aircraft For high-value projects like
there are technical obstacles to component manufacturers can these, the component solution
work with. be inexperienced in manufactur- from Sandvik Coromant consists
For a component like the air- ing these tougher materials. This of several stages. They include
craft’s fuselage, OEMs are go- is where Sandvik Coromant’s ex- looking at the machine require-
ing in two different directions. pertise has proved useful. ments, time studies to examine
On the one hand, we are seeing the cost-per-component, and an-
increased use of aluminum, al- Component solutions alyzing production methods at
though aircraft components re- Sandvik Coromant offers compo- the run-off related both to Meth-
quire new types of aluminum nent solutions in response to the ods-Time Measurement (MTM)
with greater strength, fatigue growing pressure on machinists and end-user processes. It also

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