Modern Machine Tools - Aerospace Supplement - September 2011

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Aerospace Sep-2011 Ad Name: ACE Pg No. 4

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EditorialMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 7

WWings of change

EditorialAdvisory Board

M Lokeswara RaoPresident, IMTMA &

MD, Lokesh Machines Ltd

Vikram SirurVice President, IMTMA & Executive Vice Chairman, Miven Machine Tools Ltd

N K DhandPast President, IMTMA & CMD,

Micromatic Grinding Technologies Ltd

R SrinivasanPast President, IMTMA &

MD, RAS Transformation Technologies

Gautam DoshiAdvisor, IMTMA &

Consultant, Productivity & Quality Improvement Services

S N MishraPast President, IMTMA &

Vice Chairman, Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd

Manas R Bastia

[email protected]

elcome to the 2nd Aerospace special supplement of ‘Modern Machine Tools’!

Although one can’t claim that a lot has changed in Indian aerospace sector

over the last few months, there has been significant action during this period

to draw the attention of global majors in terms of bilateral trade, investment

and technology tie-ups.

The global aerospace industry is steadily warming up to Indian companies with private sector

in this domain being allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment on automatic route in all

areas, except air traffic services. As a result, there has been a surge in the export of aerospace

components from India in the recent months. Notable among these components include aero

structures, assemblies, composite parts and components that are developed and produced in

public-private collaboration. What’s more, according to a projection by the Centre for Asia

Pacific Aviation, Boeing only is likely to outsource aerospace related manufacturing work worth

over $ 1 billion from India by the year 2017.

Another emerging trend in the country is the growing interest among

various auto manufacturers and information technology companies towards

aerospace manufacturing and design activities apart from the pure play

engineering service providers. India offers competitive advantages not

only to local players but also several global operators when one

considers the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities

in the country amid rapidly growing aircraft fleet as well as the

ageing of aircraft-in-service.

Going ahead, the MRO segment promises tremendous growth

opportunities for multiple reasons. Be it the availability of a

large pool of qualified engineers at significant cost advantage

or the need for less investment in technology and facilities for

MRO compared to other aerospace segments.

That said, the aerospace maintenance and manufacturing

activities offered at the current level could face wind pockets

ahead in terms of infrastructure, funding, technology,

certification processes, tax structures, etc. On one hand

the government can play a more proactive role in further

streamlining the prevailing regulatory environment, and

on the other, there are immense potential of employment

generation across the aerospace value chain. Take a tour

of this special edition for further insights. More details will

follow as this sector continues to touch higher orbits sooner

than later.

Contents MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 20118

Dr Robert Yancey, Executive Director, Global Aerospace, Altair Inc ............ 22

Indian aerospcae:Analysis of the evolving value chain structure ..... 14

Unmanned aircraft system:A new curve in R&D ................................................. 18

QuEST Global Manufacturing Pvt Ltd: Foraying into global aerospace .............................. 34

Maini Global Aerospace Pvt Ltd: Propelling growth of Indian aerospace.................. 38

Machining high-temperature jet engine components: New technologies for enhanced performance and efficiency...................................... 44

Aerospace engineering: Reaching the sky and beyond.................................. 52

Product & Advertisers’ Index ...................... 56

Sridhar Pissay, Vice President (Sales and Marketing) Industrial Measuring Technology Division, Carl Zeiss India.................................... 25

Sreekanteswar S, President, India Sales & Operation, Körber Schleifring GmbH .................. 27

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In the News .................................................. 10

Editorial ........................................................... 7

R&D Engineering Design

Manufacturing Assembly / Testing

Aftermarket

In the News MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201110

Mahindra Aerospace and Mahindra Satyam partner with EurocopterAccording to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies, the partnership will manufacture sub-assemblies, engineering components and also customise civil helicopters. It will also focus on the joint development of specific market segments in the growing Indian aerospace market.

Commenting on the developments, Lutz Bertling, President and CEO, Eurocopter, said, “The synergies between the two companies will enhance our contributions to the Indian civil helicopter market.”

Hemant Luthra, Chairman, Mahindra Aerospace Pvt Ltd, said, “We are pleased to work with the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer to contribute to the growth of the Indian aeronautical industry and civil aircraft market. Eurocopter has a solid, long-term strategy for the growth of the India market. We are creating a niche for ourselves in the fixed-wing aircraft and aerostructures manufacturing space and see this MoU as a significant step forward for both companies as well as the domestic aviation industry.”

Lockheed Martin eyes Indian defence marketThe company remains committed to its relationship with the Indian Air Force despite losing out on India’s multi-billion dollar combat fighter deal.

A Lockheed spokesman informed, “We understand that the US Government is working on a response to the letter from the Indian Government. Lockheed Martin remains committed to its relationship with the Indian Air Force, Ministry of Defence and other services.”

This association is robust on the Indian defence market, as New Delhi

goes on a massive buying spree in the coming years to modernise the country’s armed forces. “The US Government has informed Lockheed Martin about having received a letter from the Indian Ministry of Defence concerning the M-Medium Multi-Role Aircraft (MRCA),” the spokesman added.

Ashok Leyland considers foray into Indian defence sectorAshok Leyland Defence Systems Ltd (ALDS) has tied up with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) GmbH and Co KG, Germany, for developing defence systems. The Hinduja Group owns 26 per cent stake in ALDS, which is a newly formed arm of Ashok Leyland.

During the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, the two companies had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the scope of which includes development of artillery systems, combat systems, armoured wheeled vehicles, recovery vehicles, bridge laying systems and other similar products. The German partner will provide technology on which a certain amount of customisation would be done; moreover, manufacturing will be carried out by ALDS in its existing facility.

India’s first indigenous designed plane to debut A prototype of the indigenously designed five-seater civil aircraft NM5 made outside the public sector is in its final stage of testing. The aircraft has been jointly developed by the

National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) and Mahindra Aerospace.

“We are very close to launching and flying NM5 and if everything goes well that could happen in less than six weeks. At this time we have handed the plane over to engineers for flight-testing. Now it depends on the confidence of the test pilot,” said Hemant Luthra, Chairman, Mahindra Aerospace Pvt Ltd.

After the successful testing of the plane, the production is expected to commence at its Bengaluru facility. Mahindra Aerospace, which recently acquired two Australian firms, is also looking to manufacture eight and ten seater aircraft- dubbed GA8 and GA10-in its Bengaluru facility.

Lufthansa orders thirty A320neo aircraft The airlines has placed the order with Airbus the France-based European a i r c r a f t major.

The order i n c l u d e d twenty five A320neo and five A321neo a i r c r a f t to be powered by new-generation Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofan engines. The latest orders brought the number of Airbus aircraft purchased by Lufthansa to 443, cementing the Germany group as Airbus’ ‘biggest airline customer.’

According to Airbus, the A320 family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. About 7,500 Airbus A320 family aircraft have so far been ordered and more than 4,700 delivered to over 330 customers and operators worldwide.

In the NewsMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 11

GE to open second manufacturing plant for aircraft components The global leader in jet engine and aircraft systems production will open a new manufacturing facility in Mississippi, US to meet accelerating global demand. It will invest $ 56 million in the new facility with production slated to commence by 2013. The

300,000 sq ft facility will manufacture advanced composite components for aircraft engines and systems.

“We are excited to expand our production capability in Mississippi with the opening of a second plant that will create hundreds of new high-tech jobs this decade for the state. GE has invested more than $12 billion in the research and development of reliable technology innovation over the past ten years and this announcement shows that the commitment is paying off.” said David Joyce, President and CEO, GE Aviation.

Rolls-Royce to set up assembly centre in SingaporeThe world’s second largest maker of aircraft engines is expanding its presence in the South Eastern market. As part of the objective the company is planning to spend around $ 490 million to establish a 62,000 sq m facility, comprising of an assembly and testing unit for the commercially

successful Trent engine. It will also comprise of a manufacturing facility for wide-chord fan blades that

are an essential components for these engines.

The facility will be located at the Seletar Aerospace Park, and will be complete by the end of 2011. It will also house an advanced technology centre and a regional training centre.

Jonathan Asherson, Regional Director, Southeast Asia, Rolls-Roys, said “Quite early into a boom cycle in Asia, we established major joint ventures for repair and overhaul in Singapore and in Hong Kong, and that has sort of led the way.”

Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace partner to develop unmanned autonomous technologies for the US armyThe $ 47 million contract is to develop, demonstrate and deliver Unmanned Autonomous Technologies (UATs) for the US army. The technologies are geared towards air systems to support

in theatre cargo resupply missions. With the new technology, the army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate will have enhanced air systems that would improve delivery accuracy, progressed operations and provide efficient station operation workload.

The 6,000 pound power-lifter unmanned K-MAX helicopter will deliver more cargo in one flight than any other rotary-wing unmanned system.

Dan Spoor, Vice President - Aviation Systems, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors, said, “Lockheed Martin’s experience, resources and proven K-MAX platform will allow us to meet the army’s objectives. We are eager to develop and demonstrate the latest autonomous technologies

using the mature and low-risk K-MAX platform.”

Kuban Airlines signs contract with Sukhoi for supply of Superjet-100The companies signed an agreement worth $ 380.4 million to supply 12 Sukhoi Superjet-100 planes, with deliveries scheduled for 2012-2015.

The Superjet-100 is a medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with the US and European aviation corporations, including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell. Kuban Airlines in a statement stated that the company plans to increase its fleet to around 30 aircraft by 2015.

Airbus secures £ 1.5 billion deal with Indonesian airlineGaruda Indonesia has signed a £ 1.5 billion contract with Airbus for 25 A320 jets and 10 A320neos. The planes will replace the Boeing 737 aircraft flown by the Indonesian airline’s low-cost unit, Citilink.

Emirsyah Satar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Garuda Indonesia said, “This order will ensure that Citilink is equipped to realise its full potential. We are confident that these modern, eco-efficient aircraft will enable us to win an important share of the fast-growing budget market in Indonesia, while providing our passengers with a high quality product.”

In the News MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201112

Eurocopter and HAL sign agreementThe association will focus on increasing existing collaboration and exploring new potential business areas to serve Indian as well as international markets.

According to Ashok Nayak, Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), “HAL is fast developing into a major player in the aerospace sector. With this increasing pace of growth, HAL welcomes opportunities of joining hands with global players like Eurocopter. We look forward to further corroborating this partnership in the coming years.”

Eurocopter recently inaugurated its new Indian subsidiary to expand its presence in the highly promising market. Commenting on the Eurocopter-HAL association, Lutz Bertling, President and CEO, Eurocopter, said, “HAL is one of the most important partners of the Eurocopter Group. Giving continuity to our 50 years of successful relationship, we are pleased to reinforce the scope of our association in India. We remain committed to work with HAL, contributing to the expansion of helicopter capabilities of India.”

Thales, Dassault Aviation sign contract with Indian Air Force The contract is for upgrading the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fleet. The contract will further enhance the technical-operational capabilities of the Mirage 2000 by integrating the latest-generation equipment and systems.

The extensive involvement of Indian industry in the programme will consolidate existing ties with the French aerospace industry and reinforce long-term cooperation

based on cutting-edge technologies and sharing of technical know-how and expertise.

Boeing predicts Indian airplane market to be $ 150 billionBoeing has estimated the size of the Indian aerospace market for passenger airplanes at $150 billion over the next 20 years, driven by a booming economy. According to Dinesh Keskar, President, Boeing India, the Indian airlines will need to

buy approximately 1,320 new airplanes to meet the demand of the expanding aviation sector.

Gowri Ventures’ Tirupathi plant gets AS 9100 The Precision Investment Castings plant of Gowri Ventures based at Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh has recently received a certification called AS 9100. This certification is mandatory for serving the aerospace sector, and has extensive requirements in India.

UL DQS Inc, through an audit, performed in accordance with AS9104, Rev A has verified and certified that the management system at this plant fulfills the requirements of the standard AS 9100, Rev C for aerospace quality management systems requirements. This will enhance the capability of Gowri Ventures in the manufacture of finished investment casting components for aerospace and defence applications.

UL DQS Inc is accredited by ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and recognised by the Americas Aerospace Quality Group (AAQG).

Mahindra Aerospace signs development agreement with Rolls RoyceGippsAERO the aircraft manufacturing division of Mahindra Aerospace and Rolls Royce have signed an agreement to integrate the M250 B-17F/2 Rolls Royce engine into the GA10 aircraft.

The GA10 aircraft which is currently in the prototype design phase with certification process to begin in March 2012 will be developed by GippsAERO at its Australian plant.

Arvind Mehra, Executive Director and CEO, Mahindra Aerospace Pvt Ltd,

said, “We are proud to be associated with Rolls-Royce which is a world-leading provider of power systems and sevices in the civil aerospace market. We look forward to strengthening our relationship and developing further long-term opportunities together.”

“We are pleased to partner with Rolls Royce in the development of a new 10 seat turboprop utility aircraft. The development of the GA10 TP will add a new dimension to the GippsAERO product range, and with M250 B-17F/2 power it will open new market segments across the globe since the aircraft will offer lowest cost per seat in its class,” said Dr Terry Miles, CEO, GippsAERO.

Industry Insights MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201114

With increasing aerospace activities in India, aerospace OEMs are moving from vertically integrated manufacturing to design and system integration & the industry structure has changed into a tier-based system of suppliers.

The aerospace value chain is basically characterised by Research and Development (R&D), engineering design,

manufacturing, assembly/testing and aftermarket services [Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)].

All industries across the aerospace value chain hold significant potential in the Indian aerospace market. These industries are continuously growing with increasing domestic aircraft demand, offset requirements, a strong domestic manufacturing base,

cost advantages, the liberalisation of civil aviation policies and a liberal Special Economic Zones (SEZ) law that provides attractive fiscal benefits for developers and manufacturers. However, a lot of investment and complexity can be seen in both aerospace manufacturing and maintenance business and these have a competitive advantage in the Indian subcontinent. Major global and Indian players are investing in these two business activities to realise their emerging potential in the Indian aerospace market.

Analysis of the evolving

value chain structure

INDIAN AEROSPACE

R&D Engineering Design

Manufacturing Assembly / Testing

Aftermarket

Industry InsightsMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 15

Trends in aerospace manufacturingPrior to the year 2000, aerospace manufacturing and outsourcing activities were strictly limited to global companies due to India’s low technology expertise and its inability to meet global standards. But with the private sector encouragement in the sector with 100 per cent FDI on automatic route in all areas, except air traffic services, this industry is open for Indian companies as well. Aerospace manufacturing business in India is targeted towards Indian defence services requirements, with Hindustan Aeronotics Ltd (HAL) being the leader in producing and servicing defence aircraft and helicopters. However, HAL has started contracting for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) - Airbus and Boeing. Due to low production costs, manufacturing of various commercial aircraft components (panels and beams) being outsourced to India.

Export of aerospace components from India has also seen a dramatic growth in the past few years. Many Indian companies in the aerospace industry are successfully participating

in delivering locally produced components. Most of it such as aero

structures, assemblies, composite components and parts are being developed and produced under public private partnerships. According to Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), more than $ 1 billion of aerospace manufacturing work is expected to be brought to India by the Boeing Company by 2017.

Not only pure play engineering service providers, various auto manufacturers and IT companies have also shown interest in aerospace manufacturing and design activities. Their working model starts from metal production to software design and development. Most Indian private companies have entered into aerospace manufacturing business by setting up Joint Ventures (JVs) with foreign players. For example, Tata Group’s JV with Augusta Westland for assembling helicopters, and Mahindra & Mahindra’s JV with Aerostaff Australia and Gippsland Aeronautics

Table 1: Role of different participants for a commercial aerospace programme

Participants Business model Products & servicesPrimes Prime integrators, such as Boeing

and Airbus, retain complete control of the production process including design, selection of suppliers, detailed development & manufacturing of critical equipment and final assembly.

Design, assembly, integration and services

Tier I These vendors maintain responsibility for providing equipment and systems to the primes. This includes design, assembly, services etc.

Aero structures, aero engines, avionics systems, aircraft interiors, landing gear and actuators

Tier II These vendors manufacture and develop the required parts according to the specifications provided by OEMs and Tier I vendors. Tier II vendors also deal with providing aftermarket components and services.

Aero structures, aero engines, avionics systems, aircraft interiors, landing gear, actuators subsystems and sub assembly

Tier III These vendors are responsible for the supply of basic products and components to Tier I and Tier II vendors.

Components and parts

Indian companies are facing challenges due to lack of adequate technical expertise for designing and manufacturing aerospace components. Technology used by Indian companies has become obsolete with the emergence of new cutting-edge technologies in the market. Thus, Indian companies are required to keep pace with new emerging technologies.

Technologyexpertise

Components manufactured by Indian aerospace companies need to have an international airworthiness certificate; the approval process for this at times takes too long, as this does not happen in India. To overcome this challenge, Indian companies require government support to enter into bilateral agreements with international certification agencies.

Certification process

The composition of raw material used in aircraft manufacturing is moving towards new advanced materials. For new aircraft, the material composition required is 60 per cent titanium and composites, and only 20 per cent aluminium (as a percentage of structural weight), as against the older 80 per scent aluminium. The efficient use of composite materials helps lower maintenance costs, makes the aircraft lighter, and more fuel efficient.

Raw material composition

Challenges in aerospace manufacturing

Industry Insights MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201116

for building aerospace components and aircraft manufacturing. The JVs will eliminate the high import duties that are incurred in buying an aircraft from foreign manufacturers.

OpportunitiesThe opportunities in the sector are immense as diversification of business in aerospace activities by HAL can increase the demand for aerospace manufacturing in India. The JV with Mahindra Group to develop internal design and manufacturing services will reduce dependence on assembling components that are under licence to OEMs. HAL is also planning to work on designing and manufacturing a multi-role helicopter for civil and defence use. India possesses a large talent pool of qualified engineers available at a low cost and a strong industrial and engineering tradition that attracts global players to enter into JVs and partnerships with Indian firms.

Trends in aerospace MROThe MRO activities in India provide competitive advantages to various global and local players with rapidly growing aircraft fleet and the increasing age of Indian aircraft. The aerospace MRO segment attracts less investment in technology and facilities as compared to other aerospace sub-segments. The MRO sector is typically

divided into four major segments, which include airframe heavy

maintenance and modification, engine maintenance, line maintenance and component maintenance.

Airlines in India outsource MRO work worth $ 700 million to international firms every year. According to media reports, global MRO firms such as SIA Engineering and Lufthansa Technik generate 35-45 per cent of their revenues from MRO verticals and are expanding their reach in India. MRO services have great potential in the Indian market, with a continuous growth of 15 per cent annually.

Indian aerospace MRO market is dominated by independent service providers that focus only on aircraft maintenance activities. However,

MRO spending in India1600

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Service tax in India for third-party MRO services is about 12 per cent. Importing and stocking of spares result in additional duties. For import of spares, a custom duty of 27 per cent and Value Added Tax (VAT) of 4 per cent or 12.5 per cent on intrastate sale and entry tax/octroi in specified states/municipalities is charged. This can be circumvented if spares are imported under the airlines’ names or if the MRO itself is in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Taxes/duties

The Director General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) licensing is not at par with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. The overall policy framework has some deterrents but most importantly it does not provide any targeted incentives for MRO investments in India except for 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which is not sufficient.

Government regulations

Indian airports lack infrastructure setups and hanger facilities meeting world-class standards. Poor infrastructure facilities impact quality and turnaround time for MRO services in India.

Lack of infrastructure

The MRO business is considered to be highly capital-intensive that takes around four to five years to break-even with good volumes. Also, third-party MRO/airlines lack capabilities to satisfy the one-stop-shop concept.

High capital investments

Challenges in MRO

Industry InsightsMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 17

these companies may face tough competition with the entry of major OEMs such as Boeing, Lockheed and General Electric.

Airlines in India spend nearly 13-15 per cent of their revenues on maintenance. In terms of cost, engine maintenance constitutes a major portion of the MRO chain. Most of the Indian aircraft fleet consist of Airbus and Boeing aircraft manufactured in Europe and the US, which are flown outside India for maintenance mainly to the UAE, UK, Singapore and Malaysia.

Growth avenues Getting the aircraft serviced in India will save valuable fuel, logistics costs and engine & component hours, thereby generating more revenue for the airlines. The MRO industry in India can help domestic airlines save about 20-40 per cent on the total costs on airframe maintenance as compared to the rest of the world. Domestic airlines in India are working on their capabilities to begin their own checks, but a lack of infrastructure forces the airlines to carry out major inspections outside India. The success of the MRO industry lies in its manpower capability, as major maintenance checks are more labour intensive; determining the efficiencies in output. With low labour costs and skilled manpower in India, the MRO market can grow at a fast pace. Further, with OEMs and foreign vendors entering the Indian market with their technical and operational efficiency, MRO in India will have the capability to service general aviation aircraft as well.

Rising competitionTo restructure the supply chain and to address issues like increasing raw material prices, rising lead times and changing global & economic

conditions, global aerospace OEMs are eager to maintain a strong supplier base across the globe and work with low-cost manufacturers in emerging markets (eg, India,

China and Brazil). These OEMs use various selection criteria for deciding whether to outsource. These include the supplier expertise to reduce cost, buying capabilities, scale of business, labour cost, technological investments and many more. With their low technology expertise and low scale of business, the Indian aerospace industry is facing competition from various other countries.

These countries (China, Japan and Russia) are also giving competition to the Indian aerospace industry by attracting regional aircraft market leaders (ATR, Bombardier and Embraer) to invest in these countries with strong supplier base.

Flying high with optimism The Indian aerospace industry has undergone significant changes in the last few years. However, its

maintenance and manufacturing activities have not kept pace with the overall aerospace industry development. This is driven by business complexity, cost-plus

mentality and other traditional business practices. Most Indian companies provide services in a particular area of the value chain (design/manufacturing/testing/repair). Indian aerospace market faces various challenges in

technology, funding, certification processes, infrastructure and various tax structures that need to be bridged in the next few years. Government help is required to ease the regulatory requirements and increase private sector participation.

Most aerospace activities are highly labour intensive and require huge technological investment. Thus, there is a need to create the human and technology infrastructure to offer services from design to the maintenance of aerospace products. Further, the Indian aerospace industry needs to follow global quality management systems, ISO, QS and TS; these would help Indian companies position themselves well in the global aerospace arena.

Courtesy: Aerospace & Defense

Practice, Frost & Sullivan,

South Asia, Middle East and North Africa

Countries in competition with the Indian aerospace industry

Countries Competitive factors

China A major supplier for several OEMs and where AVIC, the stateowned manufacturer had a several-decades head start in manufacturing military and civil aircraft.

Japan Presence of major tier 1 suppliers like Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries that match the requirement of large aircraft manufacturers like Boeing to expand their business in Japan.

Singapore Presence of various maintenance, repair and overhaul firms with large global presence such as ST Aerospace.

The success of the MRO industry lies in its manpower capability, as major maintenance

checks are more labour intensive; determining the efficiencies in output.

Design Corner MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201118

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Driven by varying combinations of business, regulatory, nationalistic and military pressures, the aerospace industry has always been at the forefront of the application of cutting-edge technology. This trend is showing no signs of slowing down, as emerging programmes in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) countries and beyond are beginning to challenge more established markets in Europe and North America. It can be argued that the increased competitive pressure will accelerate the pace of innovation in the global aerospace industry.

New R&D is taking place in all sub-sectors of the industry. Some examples include new aerodynamic

features to reduce drag, improved engines to reduce fuel burn and emissions, different materials such as composites & hybrids to control weight, aeroacoustic control devices,

stealth technologies and advanced & pervasive electronic systems. One system that perhaps represents the rapid developments in the industry and encompasses all these new developments is an unmanned aircraft.

Across all domains (land, sea and air), the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has registered

A new curve in R&D

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM

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Design CornerMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 19

explosive growth, and this growth shows no sign of slowing down as the value of adopting these systems is continuously being demonstrated. In 2010, the US Department of Defense (DoD) UAS logged over 550,000 flight hours, not including mini/micro tactical UAS that are typically hand launched. Placing the growth of UAS use in context, it took roughly 10 years – from 1995 to 2005 – for DoD UAS to log its first 250,000 flight hours. In 2011, the projected US DoD expenditure on UAS procurement and Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) is $ 6 billion.

This rapid growth has resulted in a range of competing aircraft platforms, duplication of capability across domains and reduced scalability and modularity. To address this, a number of key future development trends can be drawn from the US DOD roadmap for UAS and as the major user of UAS globally, this is indicative of global developments.

Key emerging trendsFollowing are the emerging trends:

� Transition from mission-specific platforms to a reduced number of common platforms that can serve multiple missions across domains

� Increased platform capability including all-weather flight, payload weight, speed, endurance (even ultra-endurance), point-to-point, survivability and refueling

� Increased payload capability that supports advanced sensing, autonomy, swarming & teaming, weaponisation and electronic warfare

� Expanded missions including strike, cargo and medical evacuation

� A reduced personnel forward footprint with a single controller guiding multiple UAS and more autonomy during landing and takeoff

These trends pose a number of challenges for innovative solutions to the designers and suppliers of UAS.

The rapidly expanding use of UAS

demands equally rapid integration of new technologies into existing platforms. The speed with which missions and capabilities are being developed means that the design and integration cycles must be efficient and right the first time. In an increasingly competitive environment, the companies that succeed will be able to rapidly satisfy the needs of the end user. In the near and medium term, this will require customisation of products to fit different platforms. In the long term, these custom products will likely evolve into optimised, standardised, plug-and-play modules and new capabilities will be developed to integrate in this way. This will require close cooperation and interaction between system integrators and component suppliers in a way that facilitates the design process without compromising the core intellectual property of either side.

Over the next 5-10 years, to successfully integrate advanced capabilities into existing platforms, designers and manufacturers will have to focus on Size, Weight and Power (SWP). Retrofitting will require a critical understanding of thermal management, shock and vibration to ensure that the solution is robust and reliable. Further, as products and solutions mature and become standardised, it will become more important to establish levels of reliability equivalent to manned aircraft and extend the system lifecycle. Reducing the personnel forward

footprint will demand improvements in system aerodynamics and system capabilities to support more autonomous takeoff and landing.

As the example of the unmanned aircraft system demonstrates, the pace of change and innovation today is beyond what the extrapolation of historic design practice can support. Not only does the industry need to look at new technologies but just as importantly at the methods used to design and develop these technologies. R&D in this area is as important as is the technologies.

Leading companies have begun exploring this area and the standout difference in strategy pursued by the best in class is the systematic use of engineering simulation regularly throughout the design process. In essence, consistently leveraging engineering simulation throughout the design process helps drive double-digit improvements in quality, cost and time performance as compared with companies that fail to do this.

Research performed by US DoD has revealed the staggering impact that engineering simulation can have on innovation. A three-year study has reported that ‘for every dollar invested in the software and computing infrastructure to support simulation, the return on investment is between $ 6.78 and $12.92’1. These are recorded returns of 678-1,292 per cent.

Continuing on the theme of UAS, there is a clear overlap between the quality, cost and time

The use of UAS has registered phenomenal growth

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Design Corner MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201120

pressures that the UAS design and development community faces and the benefits of engineering simulation. As UAS capabilities continue to grow more complex, for individual projects, engineering simulation will add the most value when:

� It is applied to all aspects of the UAS design (fluid dynamics, structural mechanics, electromagnetic, thermal simulation capabilities, etc not just one or two in isolation)

� Interaction of physics at a system level is included in the analysis (eg, fluid and structures for wing flutter, structures and electromagnetics for load-bearing antenna design, structural and thermal for component thermal stress analysis)

� The workflow is seamless, integrated across physics and with

existing tools such as CAD and PLM

� Physics-based optimisation is performed across the design envelope

At an organisational level, engineering simulation tools need to offer more than just the technical capability. The unique nature of the UAS designs and their lack of design precedent make it critical to capture the design process and intent. This way it can be systemised and scaled up for future application. Capturing and managing this engineering knowledge

is best performed in simulation tools themselves, rather than PLM systems, due to the unique nature of engineering simulation data. The ideal scenario is when the simulation tool performs the engineering knowledge management and provides the PLM system with just the right information as per requirement.

The close collaboration between OEMs and suppliers required for successful platform and payload integration demands easy exchange of engineering simulation data while mitigating concerns regarding mutual intellectual property and data security. The engineering simulation software community has responded to these needs and now offered organisations the ability to manage remote repositories of simulation data and control access rights.

Simulation for next-gen technologyHaving considered the emerging trends in the UAS industry and the way the benefits of engineering simulation dovetails with these needs, it is clear that engineering simulation will be a foundational technology for the development of next-generation systems and platforms. The fit is so strong that those in the UAS community not using engineering simulation today are unlikely to become tomorrow’s UAS designers or suppliers. The same is equally true for R&D across the spectrum of applications in the aerospace industry.

Reference[1] Determining the value to the Warfighter, A3 - year ROI Study. DoD HPCMO, 2010.

Dr Robert Harwood is the Aerospace and Defence Industry Director at ANSYS. Founded in 1970, ANSYS employs over 1,700 employees, many of whom are engineers with advanced degrees and extensive training in fields such as finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics and design optimisation. ANSYS is passionate about pushing the limits of its world-class technology, so that its customers can turn their design concepts into successful, innovative products. Email: [email protected]

Research performed by US DoD revealed the staggering impact that engineering simulation can have on innovation

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Payload integration demands easy exchange of engineering simulation data

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Leaders Speak MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201122

India is fast emerging in the aerospace industry. Elaborate on the reason for the same. The overall aerospace industry is growing. Besides, India is an emerging economy, with the standard of living going up and people now being able to afford to fly. The demand for airplanes is growing faster than the world economy and there is a simultaneous rise in demand for aerospace design services and manufacturing. Globally, India is an established player in the field of technology. So it becomes a viable option for companies across the globe when they want to expand.

All these are added up with the cost parameter provided by this country. These are the factors playing towards the rapid growth of this sector in India. Companies are satisfied with the quality of products that they get in India. Though there is room for improvement, the quality provided in India is well respected.

Tell us about the latest simulation technology in defence and aerospace sectors.One of the technologies emerging in this sector is the optimisation

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…points out Dr Robert Yancey, Executive

Director, Global Aerospace, Altair Inc.

With over two decades of experience in the

aerospace industry, Dr Yancey is an epitome

in the art of using composite materials,

design optimisation, finite element modelling

and non-destructive evaluation. He has been

instrumental in the way aerospace companies

have faced the challenge of reducing the

weight of their systems. As he discusses the

dynamic growth of the aerospace sector with

Debarati Basu, he also outlines about the

mantra that the Indian aerospace industry

should adopt to soar in the global sky.

India needs to take the

billion dollar decision to

build its own airplane

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Leaders SpeakMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 23

technology. Currently, the aerospace industry is focussing on reducing weight of their structures. Altair is a leader in this area, playing an important role in helping companies reduce the weight of aerospace systems. The use of composite materials is another area showing tremendous growth. Boeing 787 and Airbus A-350, both have 50 per cent of materials in their planes made from composite materials, which is mostly carbon fibre. As composite materials are different to analyse structurally, this is driving advancements in simulation technology. This technology has a long way to go, but is certainly changing the industry in terms of designing, analysis, certification of airplanes, etc.

Multi-disciplinary study is another emerging area in this segment. In the past, individual segments of aircraft manufacturing were analysed separately. Simulation technology is moving towards the point where one can analyse all segments together in a single simulation.

Where does India stand in terms of Research and Development (R&D) and technological innovation? What needs to be done to optimise resources and reach global level of excellence?India is well positioned in terms of R&D. Many aerospace suppliers have their operations in India and this is also leading to the enhancement in the knowledge and expertise in aerospace. The country has a significant aerospace business through the government, along with some talented and large engineering companies who supply to aerospace companies.

Today, increasing numbers of companies are entering the single-aisle jetliners business. Over the last few decades, only Boeing and Airbus ruled the market. Now China and

Russia have also entered that market. These new entrants might take a decade or two to reach the level of Boeing or Airbus, but they will gain experience and learn in the process. Surprisingly, despite having the technology and expertise available, India has yet not tried to enter this market.

Indian aerospace industry is primarily driven by Government/Public Sector Units (PSUs). The potential opportunities, both public and private, in the ‘design to build’ lifecycle are tremendous. Why do many believe that India’s engineering workforce still lacks the required skill? Designing an airplane is a complicated process. India has tremendous engineering talent and expertise; however, working on the entire

process on one’s own and learning from the same results in gaining greater experience. It is one thing to be a supplier and make parts of the designed process. But it is a completely different thing to take the responsibility of building the entire aircraft programme in a single-handed manner. India has airplane programmes but for those who want to enter the larger commercial airframes, the best way to learn and attain the required expertise is to take upon the responsibility of framing the entire manufacturing programme of an aircraft.

It might take a few decades for new entrants like China, Canada and Brazil to be able to manufacture an aircraft with the quality of global acceptance. But they will learn from the programmes they are taking up today. India has an edge over other new entrants in terms of the excellent business knowledge. The country can scale up and make a profitable business in the aerospace activities if it starts taking up entire aircraft manufacturing projects in hand.

Government of India is coming up with new Defence Procurement Procedure-2011 (DPP), which aims at expediting decision making, simplification of contractual and financial provisions and gives a boost to the Indian defence sector. Do you think these policies come with a good taste to the industry?

Any activity that the government undertakes to make it easier and less complicated to do business in the country is always welcome. With the wealth of engineering talent that exists in India and the excellent educational structure, policies that make it easier to do business will only lead

to a good growth of the country.

What are some recent trends you have observed in the aerospace industry? One trend prevalent in the industry is that almost five years ago, there was a movement from most of the major aerospace (Original Equipment Manufacturares) OEMs to push design responsibility down the supply base. The automotive industry is currently following this trend. But now, there is a movement to pull back the responsibilities. Several factors are driving this trend. A concern is that

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It might take a few decades for new entrants like China, Canada and Brazil to be able to manufacture an aircraft with the quality of global acceptance. India has an edge over

other new entrants in terms of the excellent business knowledge.

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the supply base does not have the required knowledge and expertise to carry out detailed design activities.

A major concern today is intellectual property. Most suppliers build components for multiple aircraft OEMs. And if an OEM shares information with the supplier to design a certain component, there is a concern about how safe the information is with the supplier, as there are issues of information leaking to rival OEMs. This poses a big challenge for India because many foreign companies had outsourced their engineering work to India and now they have begun pulling back. So, there might be lesser opportunities in the future unless the Indian government or an Indian company decides to compete in that space and build its own aircraft.

As a support service to the aviation industry, India is specialising in Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) services as well. India’s MRO segment is estimated to grow at 10 per cent and reach $ 2.6 billion by 2020. The main challenge in positioning India as an MRO hub comes from the indirect tax structure, specifically customs duties and service tax. Please comment.The market will take positively any step that will conduct business easier in India. The MRO segment is a good method for India to gain additional knowledge as well as aerospace experience. Companies will be working on the post design phase, but that will help in learning about the issues associated with making good of airplane design.

With the advancement in the technology worldwide, do you think India is poised to contribute to the global aerospace industry and give the required standard of quality? Yes, the reputation of Indian engineering and technical capability is quite high and is well regarded worldwide. Given the knowledge base, the ability of India to incorporate new technology and take advantage of the same is good. The technical skill base in India is unmatched in the world. In fact, the engineering and technical profession is held in high regard in India than it is in the US or any other western country in general. Hence, one has a great advantage here.

Tell us about the new customer wins in defence and aerospace domains. Bombardier, Canada, is adopting the HyperWorks technology. We have received performance excellence award, a prestigious and difficult-to-achieve award, from Boeing. We are also seeing tremendous growth in the turbine engine market. These are some of the wins that can be talked about.

Elaborate Altair’s innovative vision.Innovation requires the ability to come up with new ideas and concepts. It also means to explore new ideas and concepts in an efficient way. Altair’s ability to help aerospace companies with its optimisation technology helps engineers to come up with innovative concepts for the parts that have been instrumental in designing of numerous aircraft. The design concepts that

our engineers create are different from previous ones. Our designs are lighter in weight, more efficient with better utilisation of material and less prone to failure with more uniformly distributed stress. This is one aspect of Altair’s innovation.

With the company’s computer simulation tools, the engineers can explore different designs. More than theories, we want our engineers to learn from experience, like in videogames, where children do not read the manuals but understand it by exploring and receiving instant feedbacks. If we can reach that point in engineering designs, which allows engineers to get an quick feedback on a design change, it will drive innovative change. This is the key focus area for us, where we can provide tools that would allow engineers to explore the design space in an efficient manner.

With the race towards achieving excellence, in what ways will this growing industry undergo a transition in future? India is already well positioned with qualified technical people, technology and education. If there continues to be a commitment from India to being a player in the world aerospace market and appropriate investments pour in from public and private sectors, the industry will grow in a big way. The only missing piece currently is that if India decides to become a global player, it needs to enter the single-aisle jetliners business. Making your own product will energise the nation in its focussed growth.

The first such project might not be the best, but it will prove the competence of the country. So if India can design a jet plane on its own and sell it only to the domestic market, this experience from the programme will help in making the next airplane, which can be competitive in the global market. This is a big risk, but someone just needs to take this billion dollar decision.

The technical skill base in India is unmatched in the world. In fact, the engineering and technical profession is held in high regard in India than it is in the US or any other western country in general.

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…opines Sridhar Pissay, Vice President

(Sales and Marketing) Industrial

Measuring Technology Division, Carl

Zeiss India. Conferring about the growth

trends in the Indian aerospace industry

and how quality measurement systems

play an important role in maintaining the

rising global standards, Pissay outlines

strategies to Debarati Basu.

India’s offset policy will

enhance its position in the

global aerospace domain

What is your take on the current scenario of aerospace industry? The aviation industry in India encompasses a wide range of services related to air transport such as passenger and cargo airlines, private jets & helicopters, airport management as well as support services such as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), ground handling, in-flight catering and training.

The industry has reaped massive benefits from the entry of private carriers, especially from low-fare carriers. The growth of the airlines sector has caused a sharp upturn in demand for allied services, including MRO, ground handling, and catering services. The booming aviation industry, along with its tertiary services, has resulted in a major talent crunch, boosting opportunities for training service providers. It has also

spurted growth in parts manufacturing and measurement services.

How do you perceive India’s position in the global aerospace technology? India’s rising economic capacity has enabled the funding of its defence modernisation capabilities over the past two decades and as one of the largest global military spenders, the country has the third-largest defence procurement budget in Asia.

The Indian aerospace industry is one of the fastest growing aerospace markets in the world and the rapid growth of this industry has attracted global aerospace majors to India. The country’s rapid economic growth has been catalysed by the move towards an open market economy, reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, privatisation of government-owned companies and

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significant expansion in manufacturing, engineering, inspection and measurement services.

India’s offset policy and the associated infrastructure will serve to enhance its position in the global aerospace domain.

Tell us about the technological gap faced in the Indian aerospace industry. India needs to do a China. Beijing has successfully converted China into a low-cost manufacturing hub of the world. Similarly, New Delhi should rapidly transform India into a low-cost, high-end Research & Development (R&D) centre of the world without neglecting its manufacturing sector.

What are the challenges faced in this sector?The challenge for India in meeting its policy objectives is expanding its indigenous production capabilities as well as meeting its acquisition objectives. Currently, 70 per cent of India’s procurement needs are met by foreign sources with domestic companies supplying only about 30 per cent of indigenous items to state-owned companies.

Indian manufacturers face innumerable challenges in this sector. The manufacturing sector needs to access the vast market possibilities available in the country and appropriate database. The first essentiality for ensuring manufacturing competitiveness is macroeconomic stability. Indian market will look for value for money in manufacturing and improving quality for competitiveness. Availability of power and infrastructure also play a crucial role here. Domestic indirect taxes are often singled out as a major reason uncompetitiveness of the Indian manufacturing sector.

The key roles here are in terms of infrastructure development, tech parks, tax holidays and subsidies for technological sectors. Easy availability of finance is also crucial.

What is the most important thing required by the Indian aerospace industry, which will help in its growth?R&D plays a critical role in manufacturing. This division carries out work on process development of technical and intermediates, custom synthesis, process improvement and application & basic research. This can only happen with the development in IT. Integration of IT and R&D would provide solutions for critical processes, thereby enhancing automation and manufacturing output.

With the race towards achieving excellence, in what ways will this growing industry undergo a transition in the future? After the recent economic turmoil, the airline industry is on the path to recovery. The mood is definitely upbeat in the European market, as it is in the global aviation industry. In fact, the pace of recovery is faster than anticipated, and is accelerating.

Last year, in December, Airbus released its Global Market Forecast (GMF) for the period 2010-2029. The document forecasts a 4.8 per cent annual increase in global passenger traffic. It anticipates that approximately 26,000 new passenger and freight aircraft, valued at a whopping $ 3.2 trillion will be required to meet the burgeoning demand for flight services in the next two decades.

Boeing’s long-term predictions are even more optimistic than those of Airbus. Boeing believes that the global airline industry will need

$ 3.6 trillion worth of new aircraft, approximately 30,900 between now and 2029. The largest demand would be from the Asia Pacific region, which is expected to carry one-third of the world’s passenger traffic by 2029, overtaking that in the US and Europe.

An emerging economy in the Asia Pacific region, India is an important stakeholder in the global civil aviation industry. Hence, we suppose that India will undergo a smooth but definite transition in this growing industry.

With advanced technologies finding way in this sector, maintaining quality as per global standards is a big challenge. How are the quality measurement systems changing to keep pace with the growing demand? The manufacturing sector in the aviation industry is increasingly recognising that in the present demanding & competitive markets, good product design and efficient manufacturing must rely upon authenticated measurement and testing.

Have you observed any specific demand trend from the aerospace industries? Increasing Indian defence budget creates more opportunity for foreign investors. The defence budget is expected to grow with 6 per cent Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during 2010-2016 and reach $ 44 billion by 2016. Offset opportunity in India is expected to increase and reach $ 700 million in 2016 (70 per cent of the offset market).

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Integration of IT and R&D would provide solutions for critical processes, thereby enhancing automation and manufacturing output.

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… states Sreekanteswar S, President, India

Sales & Operation, Körber Schleifring

GmbH. In a tête-à-tête with Debarati

Basu, he describes the pinnacle that the

Indian aerospace industry is bound for.

From making a place for itself in the

global domain to taking up all kinds of

challenges, the country is all set to take

the leap ahead.

India has shown the

world its supremacy

in space and defence

programmes

Elaborate on the current scenario of the aerospace industry. The Indian aerospace industry is witnessing an unprecedented growth on three fronts: civil aviation, defence aviation and Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO).

Recording the strongest growth in the world, India’s domestic aviation market has tripled in the past five years, followed by the markets in Brazil and China, which doubled during this period. Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-May 2011 were 24.5 million as against 21 million during the corresponding period last year, thereby registering a growth of 17.6 per cent, according to the data released by the Directorate

General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Boosted by an increase in disposable income of the people and the subsequent increase in air travel, India’s domestic passenger growth is expected to reach a level of 150-180 million passengers by 2020. According to the latest research, India is the 9th largest aviation market in the world and is poised to emerge as the third largest by the end of this decade. Boeing predicts that India will require 1,320 new aircraft valued at $ 150 billion over the next 20 years.

The cumulative value of the Indian defence market for the next five years is approximately ` 180,000 crore, which makes it one of the most attractive markets in the world. In the defence sector, the government

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through its offset clause, mentioned in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), hopes to have orders worth $ 30 billion generated through offset opportunities in the next 10 years. The policy unveiled in 2009 has now started translating into new business opportunities for the local industry.

The next important area in the aerospace sector is the MRO business. Increase in fleet size, low labour cost and government support to the industry are the major factors driving the Indian MRO market. The Indian MRO market is expected to reach $ 1.8 billion by 2016. Currently, there are no full MRO service facilities within a five-hour flight of India.

Further, the government, on the advice of the Kelkar Committee, has opened up the aerospace industry to the private sector. State governments are doing their bit by setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for the aerospace industry in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat.

How do you perceive India’s position in the global aerospace technology? For the last few decades, India has shown the world its supremacy in space and defence programmes. We already have a strong indigenous space programme, notable aerospace industry and aerospace component and defence equipment manufacturers. Added to it is the availability of a pool of qualified engineering and science graduates, precision equipment, materials & consumables, established & cost-effective manufacturing systems, a strong IT industry, world-class educational institutions and a good network of aeronautical development laboratories. All these have helped us become an important player in the global aerospace industry.

The successful combination of information and aerospace technologies

gives India an edge in the aerospace industry. Indian software exports to aerospace industry worldwide have crossed the $ 500-million mark in 2010-11, with an annual compounded growth of 20 per cent. Opportunities in development of aerospace technology in India have led many multinationals to set up aerospace engineering and design services outsourcing companies. These companies have outsourced projects related to control system design, embedded development, high-level aeronautical system design, testing devices, simulation, composite structuring and air traffic management systems.

India has a solid manufacturing base in terms of cost, quality and schedule. Many Indian firms in the automotive sector have demonstrated their superiority and have a key role in the global automotive supply chain. These and other leading Indian engineering companies have already started emerging as highly credible aerospace and defence industrial partners. Private and public sector undertakings are poised to take the Indian aerospace industry to new heights.

Tell us about the technological gap faced by the Indian aerospace industry. The aerospace industry has several steps in its value chain involving research, design and engineering service, high-quality component & sub-system manufacturing that include complex structures like engines and assembly of the same. The last step is the final aircraft assembly and testing.

The aerospace industry in India is currently concentrated mainly in

Design, Engineering & IT Services and Tier–3 manufacturing suppliers. Public sector companies like HAL, DRDO and GTRE have developed capabilities across the value chain, but are still limited to the defence and low-volume manufacturing.

This gap is due to non-availability of the technology and manufacturing process for high-precision components and components made of special materials like composite, titanium, inconel, etc. This technology gap can be effectively addressed through implementation of offset policy that facilitates absorption and indigenisation of foreign aeronautic

technologies that accrue to the country by way of offset deals.

Körber Schleifring plays a vital role in bridging this gap by providing the necessary manufacturing process for these precision components and machining of special

materials. We have a rich experience in this field through the supply of proven manufacturing solutions to several of the global manufacturing giants in Europe and the US who are leaders in the aerospace sector. We are using this knowledge to help Indian manufacturers in the aerospace sector to provide competitive solutions in the complex area of grinding of engine components, landing gear & hydraulic systems and special materials.

With the race towards achieving excellence, in what ways will this growing industry undergo a transition in future? From a slow start in 2000, Indian aerospace exports have grown significantly since 2006 and are expected to cross $ 2 billion in value by end of 2010-11. A spurt in participation of the private sector is led by the increasing number of global OEMs establishing dedicated centres for manufacturing in India. This is leading Indian manufacturers to make

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The successful combination of information and aerospace technologies

gives India an edge in the aerospace industry.

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huge investment to establish a strong manufacturing base for aerospace.

The combined effect of the entry of private players and global manufacturers sourcing components from India on account of the defence offset clause would lead to a quantum jump in exports as well as the level of technology of the Indian aerospace.

With a good base available for design & engineering services, new players will venture into manufacture of critical components and assembly of key sub-assemblies like the engine, landing gears, hydraulic system, wings, etc. Moreover, companies have announced the complete manufacture of small airplanes for carrying 10-20 passengers in India. More players will join in this race and eventually we would be as competitive in the aerospace sector as we are currently in the automobile and auto components sectors.

With advanced and harder-to-machine materials used in this sector, how has it brought in a change in the grinding and other machining operations? Development in metallurgy and coating technology has led to the use of many special heat-resistant components in the aerospace industry. These materials and coatings are hard to grind and often require special machines to ensure precise dimension and high surface finish. The use of engineering hard chrome in the aerospace industry is being replaced by the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) thermal spray coating. Different alloys and cermets (composite material composed of ceramic and metallic material) are coated on either High Speed Steel (HSS) or titanium. This

results in hardness in the range of 1,200-1,500 HV, making them highly wear-resistant, but at the same time, more difficult to grind. Some of the typical components could be the landing gear parts, flight control and hydraulic actuators, landing gear & hydraulic system pins, flap & slat tracks and turbine engine shafts.

Because HVOF coatings are denser and harder than hard chrome, these require a different approach to grind the material to achieve the required finishes and geometries. Often, larger and more rigid grinding machines equipped with high-frequency drives are required. Also, minimising vibration is especially important while grinding HVOF coatings. Studer has been at the forefront of grinding technology and has been providing solutions to these stringent needs for the aerospace component machining.

What are the challenges faced in this sector?Aerospace industry is a buyer’s market. There are very few buyers but a large number of suppliers. It is a high capital/investment industry and does not yield immediate returns. New projects have long gestation periods due several stringent inspection, test and certification procedures. The volumes are also comparatively low, leading to partial utilisation of assets in most cases. At the same time, as there are more suppliers, which are typically smaller in size, they have low bargaining power. This makes the industry not an attractive one for small players and startups.

However, the advantages to the established players are huge. As the initial investment cost is very high, it provides a good entry barrier to new

players. Further, the switching cost and time is also high for the buyer, and he would prefer to buy it from an established source. Availability of raw material is an issue faced by Indian manufacturers. Many alloys used for manufacturing aerospace components are not available in India and have to be imported at high cost. This has led to most companies doing only for foreign companies who supply the raw material.

Last but not the least, the know-how or technology for manufacturing critical components is not available with the Indian manufacturers. Of course, public sector enterprises are working on these areas but in a limited way. In order to move up the value chain, Indian manufacturers have to acquire the technology required for manufacturing the critical engine components, landing gear, hydraulic systems, etc.

What is the most important thing required currently by this sector to help its growth? The key to improving aerospace technology in India is through strategic collaboration between government, industry and scientific community. We must build on the success of the public-private partnerships that have been instrumental in the development of critical infrastructure across India. Some of the key factors for the development of this sector would be as follows:

� Manufacturing capability is critical to minimise unit production costs while maintaining the required quality standard

� Government R&D spending remains critical to the sustenance of this industry

� Apart from public sources, the private sector plays a key role in funding R&D spends in this sector

� With emerging aerospace and defence industries in India, the need to develop new MRO facilities is now more compelling than ever.

With a good base available for design & engineering services, new players will venture into manufacture of critical components and assembly of key sub-assemblies like the engine, landing gears, hydraulic system, wings, etc.

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Facility Visit MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201134

The skies have opened up and it is now time for Indian aerospace manufacturers to take the pilot’s seat and soar beyond the horizon. As industries are gearing up to spread their wings, QuEST Global Manufacturing Pvt Ltd is taking the most unconventional route to enter global space. Almost over a decade in the Indian market, the company is now ready to enter the wider international domain.

Just eight years after the parent company QuEST Global started its engineering services operations in the US in 1997 and Bengaluru in

1998, QuEST Global Manufacturing Pvt Ltd made its debut in the Indian market in 2006 with its manufacturing arm, to support aerospace, oil & gas and automotive verticals to complete the product development cycle from design (engineering services) to build (manufacturing).

Foreseeing the potential of the Indian market, QuEST started off with its operations in Bengaluru, with a team of just six members. Over the last 5 years, the company has not just grown, but also made its mark in the aerospace industry as the first such

enterprise to provide engineering solutions from design to build in the country’s aerospace sector.

Today, the company has its dedicated aerospace manufacturing unit in its own SEZ in Belgaum. Spanning an area of 300 acre, it has over 450 employees in this segment. While most industries are located in the safe haven of Bengaluru, QuEST decided to make the best use of its rural SEZ unit and its cross-border potential. With the foundry belt of Kolhapur on one side and efficient machining facility of Hubli on the other side, teamed with young local talents from engineering colleges of Belgaum, the company believes it has made a long-term safe choice.

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Foraying into global aerospace

QUEST GLOBAL MANUFACTURING PVT LTD

Facility VisitMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 35

However, it was not an easy task for the organisation to prove to the industry that they can go beyond providing just engineering services and be a manufacturer instead. “Over the last five years, we have been focussing towards taking up ‘design to build’ packages and most companies said to us that ‘build’ is something that we cannot do. Engineering is one thing but manufacturing is a completely different arena. But we were confident that with 10 years of experience in engineering and design, we can do it. We finally decided that to move up in the value chain, we have to manufacture and that made us take the conscious decision to start QuEST Global Manufacturing,” says Natarajan Iyer, Chief Operating Officer, QuEST Global Manufacturing Pvt Ltd.

In order to gain experience, the company initially started with manufacturing in the automotive sector. “With the rigour involved in automotive components manufacturing in terms of high volume production along with low rejection rate, it is an extremely strenuous task but gives the best practice to set the foundation for aerospace precision manufacturing,” affirms Iyer.

The company started its aerospace manufacturing activities shortly after, and inaugurated its Belgaum SEZ unit in November 2009. Commercial production commenced in April 2010 and soon after, the company consolidated its entire aerospace manufacturing process at this unit.

The growing years The unit today has over 30 high-end complex CNC machines with a production capacity of 220,000 hour per year. The facility has the capability

to manufacture simple as well as the most complex aeronautical parts. Its capabilities range from three-axis parts machining to titanium machining.

The company’s specialised cell for titanium machining provides scope for exploring this growing avenue. “Aluminium is here to stay in the industry, but titanium is the answer to tomorrow’s need. The industry is racing towards building lighter aircraft so as to make them more fuel efficient and also have the ability to travel longer distances. Titanium is the solution for all these. However, cutting tool knowledge required for this material does not exist in India. We want to move up the value chain, and hence, are focussing on titanium. With such a material, we need globally accepted cycle times, speed and feed rate to compete. Therefore, we have brought in the experts of titanium machining from the UK at our facility who are continuously working towards achieving tight tolerance demand,” explains Iyer.

The company is also involved in milling, turned parts, assemblies, pressure testing, lapping and sub-assemblies. It also excels in sheetmetal machining and has a dedicated facility for the same. In addition, it has a joint venture with Magellan Aerospace Corporation in the form of Aerospace Processing India (API) – an independent third-party facility that provides approved aerospace surface treatments that are not readily available in India.

Some of the products by this company, which are known for their precision machining, include landing gears, actuation systems, aerostructures and electronic housings.

Customer base With customers ranging from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to Airbus, QuEST is among the few Indian companies supplying to global aerospace companies. It is not just a tier 1 supplier to Airbus, but also provides solutions to global players like Goodrich, Eaton, SAAB, SABCA, GE, Magellan, Honeywell and Avio.

In a rare achievement, the sheetmetal machining unit of the company has been approved by Airbus, Boeing and National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program

Those involved in aerospace sector have to be very patient, as there are no immediate results here, and shortcuts are forbidden. One must have a passion for this domain, and respect for engineering to be in this industry.

Natarajan Iyer, Chief Operating Officer

The company manufactures an array of precision parts for global aerospace industries in its Belgaum unit

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(NADCAP). The facility also holds certifications from most other major aerospace companies.

“The investment and direction of this company is designed to compete at the top level, and it has a huge vision with an immense drive. We are proceeding on the path of being a global player, and QuEST demonstrates this in terms of investments not only in machines, but also in people and resources,” points out Peter Howard, Chief Technology Officer, QuEST Global Manufacturing Pvt Ltd.

Future endeavoursThe Indian aerospace industry is still in its nascent stage; however, this has not deterred the company from thinking big and global. The trend of looking towards East still continues. As the talent (ie, aeronautical engineers and machinists) in the West is growing older and retiring from the industry, and not many youngsters in the West are taking up aerospace as a career, there is a growing interest in utilising Indian talent owing to resource availability and cost reduction. Thus, dependence on India for aerospace engineering and manufacturing is increasing.

“Aerospace is a different game all together. Quality and delivery is the key for global acceptance. Those involved in the aerospace sector have to be very patient, as there are no immediate results here, and shortcuts are forbidden. One must have a passion for this domain, and respect for engineering to be a part of this industry,” explains Iyer.

As the Indian government is formulating new policies varying from participation of private sector on defence offsets, providing education

and training programmes for increasing the talent availability for this sector, to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that would encourage aerospace manufacturing – all with an intent to enhance the future growth of this industry, it is a ‘wait and watch’ situation for manufacturers. “We have heard about various policies for the past three years, but things are still very fluid and in a gestation period. We need to observe how these policies shape up. Currently, the talks about policy changes are keeping us excited, creating a good political momentum and pulling attention to the market. But we as manufacturers need to wait,” avers Iyer.

Milling milestones QuEST has a series of ‘firsts’ attached to it. It is the first Indian Airbus Tier 1 supplier. It is also the first operational aerospace SEZ in the country and also the first company to incorporate high-end titanium machining, and also the first to set up [in a Joint Venture (JV) with Magellan Aerospace] India’s only independent, third-party aerospace special processing (surface treatment) plant.

Being different is what defines QuEST. While aerospace is a male dominated industry, the company has employed a team of 10 women from the rural belt to make a difference. “We have started apprenticeship programmes and have a dedicated 10-member women’s team recruited for the first time from the rural belt. This way, we not just maintain diversity, but also provide equal employment opportunity. We believe this has been our best decision. Certain things need high levels of multi-tasking, attention to detail and commitment, which these women provide,” adds Iyer.

With this as the pilot project, the company intends to start a gurukul shortly in its Belgaum facility to provide education and develop various types of skills and utilise the available local talent to its optimum level. “The mindset of people here is moving towards a competitive market. The graph of their ascent is steep and the main ingredient here is that the people are willing to learn,” points out Howard.

The way ahead QuEST has grown from being a pure engineering services company to manufacturing organisation. This is one of the reasons that has led the company to give high importance to Research and Development (R&D) initiatives. Over 15 per cent of the employees are involved in R&D activities.

The company aims to achieve a growth of 45 per cent every year and plans to address a bigger piece of the entire aerospace pie. As it grows bigger, the company plans to have its own forging unit with a JV with Aubert and Duval, SAS, France, and Setforge Societe Nouvelle, France. Soon in a period of 18 months, the company will give the country its first aerospace grade forging facility, outside of HAL.

QuEST is also looking towards having its own casting facility. It will soon expand its Special Processing Unit (API), with the introduction of new processes. The facilities of API will be made available to every other company in the aerospace industry, including competitors. To reduce lead time, the company is looking towards having its own logistics warehouse, which can house the raw material. Over the next five years, the company plans to enter its second growth phase by expanding its engineering services with a new facility and add over 1,000 new employees to its workforce.

With the planned growth path, QuEST Global Manufacturing Pvt Ltd will soon be soaring higher and touching foreign skies.

We are proceeding on the path of being a global player, and QuEST demonstrates this in terms of investments, not only in machines, but also in people and resources.

Peter Howard, Chief Technology Officer


Known for its trendsetting ways, the Maini Group was among the first few Indian companies, who forayed into the relatively unchartered terrain of aerospace manufacturing in the country and explored hues of this industry. Giving wing to its dream, this company today is soaring great heights in the global domain of aerospace.

After making a mark in the industry with its most indigenous product of battery-operated eco-friendly cars, the company

did not lose time in deciding to test the ebbs of the newly emerging sector of aerospace. Started under the flagship of Maini Precision Products, way back in 2004, the company began

manufacturing of high-precision aerospace components. Within a year, the company bagged its first order and commenced its journey in the global aerospace sector. Later, in 2008, the company decided to consolidate its activities and create a brand name in the industry and thus, Maini Global Aerospace Pvt Ltd (MGA) was announced in 2009.

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Propelling growth of Indian aerospace

MAINI GLOBAL AEROSPACE PVT LTD

Facility VisitMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 39

The journey so farWith a goal to blend western technology with Indian ethos, and to fly the Indian tricolour on the global map, the company has been successfully proving its mettle in the international circuit. Spread across an area of 30,000 sq ft at its Bengaluru site, the company has built up a strong team of over 150 highly talented domain-specific workforce in its operations and business development team. MGA mainly operates in four verticals. With a strong foundation in manufacturing of precision components and building up on its forte in engine components, the company is also working towards making Aircraft Systems and Aero Structures. “Our vision is to grow in the aerospace sector and be present in the global market for long as an end-to-end solution provider. We have set out on a mission and a target to be a top Indian tier 1 company and are steering ourselves towards that,” says Naresh Palta, Chief Executive Officer, Maini Global Aerospace Pvt Ltd.

Crafting a nicheAs a fast-growing company, MGA has already got its cards in place. It is the first company in India to achieve AS 9100 Revision C certification this year. “Apart from the ISO & AS certifications, we have also been able to prove ourselves to our global customers, who have certified us to their stringent standards,” avers Palta.

While Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) forms the largest domestic customer of the company, the list in the global arena includes leaders like Safran group companies, Snecma, Sofrance, Technofan & Famat, Eaton Aerospace, GE Aviation, Marshall Aerospace, Martin-Baker, Goodrich,

BAE systems, MTU, Magellan, Avio, Hamilton Sundstrand and Parker Aerospace among others. Over 95 per cent of the company’s outreach in the sector comes from its global venture.

Growth curveAlong with expanding its existing verticals, the company is now striding towards aeronautical quality welding and moving towards adding new processes to its portfolio. Staying ahead in the segment, the company is heavily into a huge range of materials including nickel- and cobalt-based alloy steels, stainless steel, aluminium alloys, bronze, inconel, monel, nylon and teflon. The company also has its own Non-Destructive Testing facility, which has been approved not just to NADCAP Standard, but also by many aeronautical companies, including Rolls Royce, Airbus UK, Honeywell, GE Aviation, MTU and Avio. Apart from this, the company recently signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) during the Paris Airshow at Le Bourget this year. The agreement with Airbus SAS

and EADS Deutschland GmbH will allow the Group to jointly explore the areas of aerospace manufacturing technology leveraging the strength of processes developed by EADS. “We have followed a robust model such that our customers can see us as a one-stop shop, so that they do not have to move around to different sources to source out their product basket. We are not just enlarging our capacity by investing in machinery, but are also building the next sub-tier by taking in smaller sub-contractors and training them in process control and quality coverage. This way, we are enlarging our value chain as well as proving ourselves as an end-to-end solution provider to our customers. We are building an engineering manufacturing ecosystem. We have also been able to understand our customers and are continuously mapping the needs well before our customers ask us for a solution,” explains Palta.

The larger pictureWith continuous growth in the aerospace industry, India is undoubtedly turning into a major aerospace hub. While the challenges are many, opportunities are pouring in as well. MGA too is carving its niche in this aggressively growing industry. “India is known to the world

Aerospace in the next 10 years is going to take a quantum leap. The question now is to be prepared for it at the national level and at a fast pace.

Naresh Palta, Chief Executive Officer

One of the longest structural parts for aircraft wing assembly, which measures over 2.4 m, is assembled at the company shop-floor

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as a Low Cost Country (LCC), which makes most overseas companies to choose India as an outsourcing destination. But we are not actually inexpensive. Indian companies are now investing in high-end machines and procure aerospace standard materials from overseas, providing competitive, innovative and technical abilities. With all these, we are able to provide quality solutions that are at par with the global standards. We are thus, a leading competitive country instead,” explains Palta.

However, in this highly challenging and competitive growth phase, the industry is still looking up to adequate support from all quarters, which would help the country come up as an undisputed destination for aerospace. Most Indian companies are still hoping for government support to open up. “The industry needs very strong support from the government in terms of infrastructure. The small & medium scale enterprises, which, in a big way drive the industry, need support in terms of availability of soft finances, as well as readily available support infrastructure like surface & heat treatment facilities, NDT facilities, calibration labs and above all skilled manpower. Looking at other countries, the kind of support

that the governments provide is huge in terms of infrastructure and finance. Added to this, are the licensing procedures for Defence Offsets, which are tedious, time-consuming and expensive. Smaller companies decide to avoid such labyrinthine procedures and tend to shun aerospace work. The Indian government needs to remove the impediments and make the procedures easier so as to allow Indian aerospace companies to flourish,” states Palta.

Growing biggerEven though the company started off on a smaller scale, MGA, over the years, has grown significantly. MGA is planning to expand its facility in the near future. The company has identified a new location in north of Bengaluru, where the facility will span an area of 15 acre. The new facility will come up with a high-end shop-floor with dedicated machinery for sheetmetal forming, protective processes, high-end machining for larger parts and aircraft structures assembly as well as aircraft systems assembly & testing. The unit will also explore providing in-house design and development solutions by creating its own design capability on a longer time horizon.

For MGA, the quality quotient is an absolutely critical factor. The company makes significant investments to ensure the quality of manufactured products and are delivered to meet international standards. The company has put in place a high-end camera-based profile projector and computer controlled coordinate measuring machine which measure the accuracy of components.

“We deliver value. As our mission, we want to put the ‘Made in India’ tag firmly on the aeronautical world map and this can be achieved only when we provide quality products always. In order to maintain the quality, we invest in the right people, who can harness the skills and technologies,” explains Palta.

With all these efforts, the company achieved a turnover of $ 3.5 million last year and has targeted 100 per cent growth in the current year. “Aerospace in India in the next 10 years is going to take a quantum leap. The challenge now is to be prepared for it at the national level and at a fast pace. No industry can come up on its own to meet this challenge. It also needs strong support and long term nurturing,” asserts Palta.

A unique service provided by the company includes manufacturing of drop tanks which is supplied specially to fighter aircraft

High end inspection being carried out for the precision of the components through all dimensional measurement on the camera based profile projector

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Technofocus MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201144

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With increasing sophistication of modern jet engines, machining of their components have become complicated. Also, high-temperature alloys are gaining importance in the aircraft industry due to their distinct properties and growing demand for performance. This article outlines the results of investigations of some challenging problems in aircraft manufacturing and offers industrial solutions in order to achieve high-performance operations.

Components made of high-temperature alloys are gaining importance in the aircraft industry, thanks to their unique

properties and growing demand for performance, quality, safety, security and energy efficiency. Modern jet engine components are made of highly sophisticated geometries and unique metal compositions to fulfill requirements with respect to accuracy,

temperature, loads, rotation speed and utilisation life. Most materials are difficult to machine, limiting the increase in the efficiency of conventional production technologies.

Production of these complex parts is often characterised by long process chains, non-conventional manufacturing methods, strong influence on the surface integrity and long trial-and-error processes in design, development and selection of process parameters. New ideas like hybrid processes with high-pressure flushing or ultrasonic movements, sophisticated clamping devices or new cutting tools and materials can be answers to some of the sophisticated problems.

At the Fraunhofer Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik (IWU) in Chemnitz, some of these challenging problems of manufacturing were investigated and industrial solutions have been offered for the aerospace industry.

Machining jet engine componentsA typical jet engine for a modern aircraft with some components made of high-temperature alloys is shown in Figure 1.

New technologies for enhanced performance and effi ciency

MACHINING HIGH-TEMPERATURE JET ENGINE COMPONENTS

Prof Dr-Ing Reimund Neugebauer, Frank Treppe and Prof Dr-Ing R Wertheim

Figure 1: A jet engine for the aerospace industry and some typical high-temperature components

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TechnofocusMODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 2011 45

The highly complex parts and properties of high-temperature alloys dictate the manufacturing process chain and machining conditions at each stage. While the hot area of the engine reaches temperatures of approximately 1,000°C, temperatures in the ‘cold area’ are about 700°C. The thermal and mechanical loads in the hot area require the use of components made of high-temperature alloys such as nickel- and cobalt-based alloys, while the typical alloys in the ‘cold area’ are mostly titanium- and iron-based alloys.

Parts such as shafts, diffuser or nozzle guide vanes are made of titanium- or iron-based alloys, while turbine disk, housing for bearings or blades in the hot area are mainly made of nickel- and cobalt-based alloys such as Inconel, Waspaloy or Hastelloy, which are difficult to machine.

The material mix of engine components includes approximately 60 per cent heat-resistant alloys and

18 per cent titanium alloys. The main parts of the heat-resistant alloys are 40 per cent nickel-based alloys, 35 per cent cobalt-based and 25 per cent iron-based alloys.

Due to relatively high cutting forces and very thin & complex geometries of jet engine components, clamping, holding, handling and machining is complicated and might cause inaccuracies. In order to minimise inaccuracies and balance the influence of holding devices and machining process, the development and adaptation of a flexible adaptive assembly system was investigated and implemented.

Tools and tool materials for machining high-temperature alloysInvestigations provided some clear conclusions related to efficiency and performance. Machining of titanium alloys should be done with positive cutting-edge geometry, while the tool materials are normally submicron carbide substrates with Physical

Figure 2: Chip breaking and shortened contact length when using high-pressure coolant

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Vapour Deposition (PVD)-coated layers of Titanium Aluminium Nitride (TiAlN). Due to high wear and tool life limitations the recommended cutting speed is only 30-60 m/min. Investigations carried out at the Fraunhofer Institute IWU showed that hybrid processes with high-pressure flushing can allow for a doubling of the cutting speed, resulting in significant advantages as regards machining time, cost, tool life, energy and productivity.

Machining of cobalt-, nickel- and iron-based alloys is done using a positive geometry and honed edges for improved impact strength. Cutting materials are based on submicron K10/K20 or M10/M20 with TiAlN PVD-coated layers. The cutting speed for nickel- and cobalt-based alloys is very low, but can be increased when using high-pressure flushing and Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) inserts. Machining of iron-based alloys can be carried out with PVD- and Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)-coated tools and a cutting speed range of 50-150 m/min. The machining of many jet engine components shown in Figure 1 can be realised with unique grove-turn geometries and modified tool holders improving performance, cost and efficiency.

High-pressure cooling in machining titanium alloysThe machinability of high-temperature and titanium alloys is 10 times lower in comparison to conventional steel alloys.

The major problems in machining titanium are short tool life and relatively low stock-removal rate. Due to the low heat conductivity and very thin secondary melted shear zone on the chip lower face, there is an unfavourable temperature distribution on the tool face. The heat generated is transferred through the chips only to a small extent. Also, the chips tend to stick on the cutting tool edge to form a Built-Up-Edge (BUE). The tools undergo periodically alternating stress due to the generation of segmented chips and a discontinuous chip flow. Consequently, major tool wear on the cutting edge can be anticipated even after a short machining time.

In order to meet the requirements of machining titanium, suitable machine concepts, efficient cooling strategies and optimal cutting parameters are required in addition to cutting tool materials with high-temperature stability and good wear resistance. With conventional cooling systems, the cooling performance is insufficient and recommended cutting speeds are considerably limited.

Even the influence on the crucial chip-breaking behaviour is very little. Optimal chip flow and chip breaking are essential prerequisites for a proper machining process. While turning high-temperature alloys, particularly titanium alloys, chip breaking under normal cutting conditions is achieved to an entirely insufficient level due to the long continuous chips produced.

In order to achieve proper chip flow and adequate chip breaking, hybrid processes are used where additional energy is brought into the process or instance, via high-pressure flushing. It was found that the use of high-pressure and high flow rates is of increasing importance not only in grooving and cutting-off processes, but also in other turning processes as well as drilling of titanium alloys.

The most common use of high-pressure cooling implies that the coolant-lubricant jet is guided directly between the chip and the rake face of the tool, as shown in Figure 2. Upon the placement of high-pressure coolant jet, the previously quick-flowing fluid banks up in the form of a wedge in the gap between the tool rake face and the chip. A nearly static pressure acting in all directions builds up in the fluid wedge generated. The high-pressure flushing offers three vital advantages – enhanced chip breaking, longer tool life and, possibly, better cutting parameters. Due to the high pressure exerted by coolant-lubricant on the chip, the latter is broken into small pieces and removed from the machining area. Chip breaking is favoured by the notch and segmentation effect of lamellar chips, particularly by avoiding the formation of continuous ribbon chips. Consequently, damages to the cutting edge and the machined workpiece surface caused by long, uncontrolled chips can be precluded and the components are manufactured reliably without costly interruptions.

The back-up pressure of fluid wedge provides for a shortened contact length and lower friction Figure 3: Tool life and chip shape with different cutting speeds and cooling pressure

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between tool rake face and chip lower face, as the latter is lifted from the tool rake face earlier than in case of conventional coolant flushing. Optionally, the high-pressure jet can also be directed between the tool clearance face and the already machined workpiece surface. So the coolant can reach the cutting edge much better and cool the tool more intensely, thus reducing flank wear and improving tool life.

Figure 3 presents machining results during grooving in titanium shafts with 6-mm-wide inserts and a unique ridge-type chip deflector. The use of high-pressure flushing at the tool rake face always results in substantially shorter chip lengths than those recorded in operations in which conventional external cooling is used.

An optimum chip length of 3-6 mm can be achieved via careful combination of flushing pressure and cutting speed. Two basic trends, shown in Figure 3, become apparent here. First, increasing pressure reduces chip length. Second, at higher cutting speeds, higher pressures are required in order to achieve shorter chip lengths. For example, at a cutting speed of v

c = 50 m/min, the optimum chip length is achieved at a pressure of p = 80 bar. Higher pressures produce small, needle-like chips, which are not regarded as ideal. When vc = 100 m/min, pressure of 150 bar is required in order to achieve the ideal chip shape. At even higher speeds (vc = 150 m/min), the resulting chips will be too long, but still considerably shorter than the chips produced in operations in which conventional flood flushing was used.

Using high-pressure lubrication prolongs tool life, material removal rate is increased and chip breaking is improved, as shown in Figure 3.

In operations conducted using conventional, external cooling at cutting speeds of vc = 50 m/min and pressure of 40 bar, tool life durations of a few minutes were recorded; it was noted that very long chips were produced.

The application of high-pressure lubrication at p = 150 bar permitted the cutting speed to be doubled to vc = 100 m/min and the tool life duration to be extended to more than 21 min. This increased the volume of material that can be removed by each tool more than 14-fold. In addition, an acceptable chip breaking length was achieved over the tool life period, although the chips produced towards the end of tool life were, due to wear land, substantially longer than those produced at the beginning.

A further increase in pressure to p = 300 bar did not produce additional increase in tool life and the chips became considerably shorter, to an extent that implies considering it to be disruptive to the process. An attempt to further increase the cutting speed to vc = 150 m/min reduced the tool life to virtually the same low level as in conventional machining operations performed at low speeds.

Fixtures for machining of thin-walled aerospace partsAerospace parts require high geometrical accuracy and small tolerances. Therefore, fixtures should provide high clamping forces in order to guarantee sufficient stiffness and minimum deflection due to machining forces and reduce workpiece deformation as well as induced strain.

A novel active adaptive fixture, based on piezoelectric actuators, was developed for machining a Nozzle Guide Vane (NGV) for aerospace engines. The design and behaviour of the developed fixture during clamping

and due to machining forces were supported by modeling with the Finite Element Method (FEM) and investigated as a part of an European Union (EU) collaborative project ‘Aligning, Holding and Fixing Flexible and Difficult to Handle Components’ (AFFIX). The clamping of an aerospace turbine NGV, shown in Figure 4, was investigated during the grinding operations.

The innovative adaptive clamping device shown in Figure 4 (b) is applicable for industrial grinding and milling applications due to its modularity, its ability to clamp workpieces of different dimensions and varying weight in a short time. The new mechatronic device does not require any specific operator skills and can be employed in a wide range of tasks, mainly due to the actuator embedded inside the device itself. Furthermore, because the operator must not adjust the part by hand, the positioning time for NGV is distinctly reduced.

The clamping module, shown in Figure 4 (b), consists of an actuator stack embedded in the mechanical device. This module may clamp different workpieces, and due to the presence of some sensors, which can detect any unwanted movements of the workpiece, the piezoelectric actuator can compensate deformations and restore the undeformed configuration.

The designed adaptive clamping module is shown in Figure 4 (c). The so-called test-bench fixture platform with the clamping modules is shown in Figure 4 (b) and has four displacement sensors for recovering the deflections and deformations.

Figure 4: (a) The Nozzle Guide Vane (NGV); (b) FE model of the test-bench fixture platform with mounted NGV; (c) FE model of the piezoelectric clamping module (cross section)

(a) (b) (c)


The FE models of NGV and the adaptive fixture were developed and applied for several static and dynamic analyses. The FE modeling and numerical analyses were done using the FE packages MSC.Marc® and MSC.Nastran®. Furthermore, Matlab/Simulink® was used to investigate the assembled structure in combination with the piezoelectric actuator’s model.

By combining the FE model of the piezoelectric clamping module with the NGV model, a complete model for the clamping platform has been developed. Figure 4 (b) shows the FE model of the test-bench platform consisting of the NGV, positioned on three supporting elements and clamped with four piezo-actuator modules.

During clamping and machining operations, NGV is subjected to different static and dynamic forces. The main loads that have to be compensated by the piezo-actuators during machining are the grinding forces.

The reaction forces can be scaled corresponding to the real grinding and clamping forces and combined by superposition in order to calculate the acting forces on the stacks. These acting forces are used for the assessment of the clamps and stacks. It is also possible to simulate the real deformation of the whole device during the machining process, in order to calculate the accuracy of the machining process and also the reaction characteristic of piezo-actuators.

The maximum movement of each active clamping element is about 40 µm (20 µm in both directions from the pre-set position). The base of the modular and flexible adaptive clamping systems is the adaptive piezoelectric stacks solution, which represents a great challenge in machining of thin-walled parts and has opened interesting perspectives for other industrial applications.

In a nutshellInvestigation of the machining process on aerospace jet engine components made of high-temperature alloys provides the basis for new technologies and machining solutions. New cutting tool materials and groove-turn systems enable higher efficiency and improved performance.

The use of hybrid processes using high-pressure flushing in machining titanium alloys result in excellent chip control with short chips, double tool life or in doubling the economical and efficient cutting speed. The much shorter machining time in grooving due to higher speed proves to be more efficient, despite the higher flushing energy costs.

The control and adaptation of sensors for clamping devices in high-precision operations like grinding improved the accuracy of the final product and provided a complete ‘closed loop’ solution for achieving high-performance operations.

References[1] Neugebauer, R; Sterzing, A, Koriath,

H-J: Vision einer enrgieautarken Fabrik-Beitrag des Spitzentechnologieclusters eniPROD. In:

Neugebauer, R, Energieeffiziente Produkt- und Prozessinnovationen in der Produktionstechnik, Verlag wissenschaftliche Scripten, 2010

[2] Neugebauer, R; Wertheim, R; Treppe, F: Machining of Aerospace and Light Metal Parts; Conference in Bangalore, India, 2011

[3] Neugebauer, R; Hochmuth, C; Semmler, U; Merlo, A; Salvi, E; Lorio, E: ICMC 2010, International Chemnitz Manufacturing Colloquium, Fraunhofer IWU, Vol. 54, p. 879-888, 2010

[4] Neugebauer, R; Wertheim, R; Harzbecker, C: Energy and Resources Efficiency in the Metal Cutting Industry; Abu Dhabi Conference, 2011

[5] Wertheim, R; Rotberg, J; Ber, A: Influence of the high-pressure flushing through the rake face of the cutting tool. Annals of the CIRP 41, p. 101-106, 1992

[6] Arnold, K-H; Stoll, A: Economic and Energy-Efficient Cutting Assisted by High-Pressure Cooling, Using the Example of Titanium Alloys, ICMC 2010, International Chemnitz Manufacturing Colloquium, Fraunhofer IWU, Vol. 54, p. 231-246, 2010

Prof Dr-Ing R Wertheim is Head of the Machining Technology Department at the Institute for Machine Tools and Production Processes of the Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany. He is also involved in machining related R&D activities at the Fraunhofer Institute IWU in Chemnitz. He has three decades of industrial experience with Iscar. His worldwide teaching and research activities of more than 40 years include over 100 technical publications.

Frank Treppe is a Mechanical Engineer from the Technical University, Aachen. He was the Vice President and COO of Fraunhofer USA. He is Division Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technologies in Chemnitz. He is in charge of all R&D activities related to machining and manages industrial projects with partners in Europe, India and South Africa. Email: [email protected]

Prof Dr-Ing Reimund Neugebauer graduated from the Dresden University of Technology with a degree in Machine Tool Design. He is the MD of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU and the Chemnitz University’s Institute for Machine Tools and Production. He is also a Member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Umformtechnik, the Acting President of the German Academic Society for Production Engineering, a Fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP) and a member of German Academy of Science and Engineering.

Learning Curve MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201152

DFSDFSD

Not just reaching the sky, but reaching beyond is what aerospace engineering is aiming today. India is no alien to this industry, and is ready to enter the global aerospace and defence economy with a big bang.

The Indian aerospace industry is growing at a fast pace, thus attracting major global aerospace companies. Every segment in the Indian

aerospace industry, such as the civil, military and space, is showing significant growth. Due to the prevalence of its automotive industry, India’s manufacturing base is strong. While automotive is not ‘aerospace grade’ in terms of cost, quality and schedule, it is an excellent place to start. TATA, for example, recognised worldwide for its automotive prowess, is emerging as a highly credible aerospace and defence industrial partner.

India, which has become the world leader in key areas such as IT, engineering and Research & Development (R&D), requires active participation from the private sector, public sector and Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs), to take the Indian aerospace industry to new heights. On the other hand, the job of an aerospace engineer is also quite demanding. Aerospace engineering involves design and manufacture of high technology systems and the job requires manual, technical and mechanical aptitude. One should be alert, have an eye for detail and a high level of mathematical precision to be successful, and a solid foundation at the training level is the need of the hour.

Training requirementsThe aerospace industry is broadly based on innovation, creativity and advanced technical skills, with a history of startling accomplishment. Hence, to achieve its goals, India needs to invest more on advanced training and education. In addition, the injection of the kind of entrepreneurial flair

for which India is noted could even breathe new life into the aerospace and defence business globally.

The key challenges companies are facing today are lack of adequate technological expertise in design and manufacturing of aerospace components. Training and re-training is key to ensure constant improvement of quality and personnel, while operating in an increasingly globally competitive arena.

In order to maintain the ’Quality and Reliability’ in the aerospace industry, training and re-training is mandatory in all major domains like materials, processes, design, testing, manufacture, maintenance, IT tools and technique, as well as in effective management.

Enhancing the skill sets of the nation’s young population of English speaking engineers will pay rich dividends over the next 50 years,

M Krishnamoorthy

Reaching the sky and beyond

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Courtesy: IMTMA

Learning Curve MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement September 201154

not only in India, but globally. The communication skills will be an added advantage to align quickly with the global aerospace economy.

Machining trendsWhile closely looking at the aerospace machining, one can see multifold challenges. This could arise due to materials, processes, tools, etc. Poor machinability of these advanced materials, complex shapes involved, coupled with stringent quality requirements makes machining of aerospace materials highly demanding. Hence, the need for appropriate selection of tooling materials and using optimum machining parameters is crucial to achieve desired goals.

The trend in selecting machines for aerospace applications is moving towards 5-axis and multi-tasking machines. These machines offer the flexibility of completing the entire machining in a single setup, thereby avoiding setup changes and cumulative error. Virtual machine simulation will help visualise complete machining with tool/head/slide movements and to avoid any interference during machining.

The aerospace industry uses advanced materials like high-performance metal alloys and composites to a large extent. In the latest designs of aircraft, composites are largely replacing aluminium alloys because of their high strength-to-weight ratio, good corrosion resistance and low thermal expansion. Machining of titanium alloys requires sharp tools with positive geometry and abundant supply of cutting fluid. Latest tools have through-coolant holes to supply the cutting fluid right at the point of cutting. While machining of composites, the demands are totally different. It requires router type cutters to avoid delamination and dry machining is recommended.

The design and engineering domain includes Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), which are prime

considerations in aircraft engineering. The engineering drawing must ensure seamless communication of the designer’s intent across stakeholders, by using appropriate data and GD&T symbols. This is more relevant today, as the aerospace industry has become truly global with various functions of design, manufacturing, assembly and testing being performed at different places.

The complex shapes and high volumes of material removal call for innovative work holdings. In case of housings and brackets, the machined part weighs less than 10 per cent of the raw material. In such cases, proper workholding is crucial to avoid distortion or dimensional changes during the process of part de-clamping. Vacuum fixtures come as a handy solution for holding thin wall sections.

Training initiatives by IMTMAA number of private institutions have come up to provide advanced training in aeronautical engineering. But not many such institutes are truly equipped with the required materials. Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) – the apex body of the machine tool industry in India – has established a Technology Centre at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, with active support of industries. This institution is one of its kind, where training sessions are conducted by domain experts along with a provision of hand-on-experience. The objective is to increase competitiveness, enhance efficiency and improve productivity of manufacturing industries across the country, by providing technology inputs and state-of-the-art training.

Focussing on the needs of the aerospace industry, IMTMA recently organised a two-day training programme on selection of tooling and optimising parameters for machining aerospace materials. This programme provided an in-depth understanding of difficulties in machining aerospace materials, selection of tooling materials and cutting parameters for optimum machining. The classroom sessions were supplemented with practical demonstrations of machining aerospace materials by industry experts.

Considering the entire industry’s need for skilled engineers, IMTMA also organises a four-week finishing school programme to train fresh graduates from institutions and new recruits from industries. Currently, there is a gross mismatch between the supply of trained manpower and industry demand. The programme focusses on all the practical aspects of modern machining – from reading an engineering drawing through measurements and quality control – including machining processes, CNC programming and operation, process planning, tool materials, selection of cutting tools and optimising machining parameters, limits, fits and tolerances, GD&T as well as selection of instruments.

The programme not only focusses on the technical aspect, but also emphasises on developing the soft skills as per industry requirements. Industry visits are also organised to attain real life experience of the actual production environment. In addition, as per specific demands from the industry, customised programmes are also developed and delivered.

M Krishnamoorthy is the Director-Training at IMTMA Technology Centre. A domain expert in the manufacturing sector, he has been training hundreds of professionals from diverse verticals since the last two decades. At IMTMA, he is responsible for preparing course modules based on the latest trends, developments and needs of the manufacturing industry, particularly the metalworking sector. Email: [email protected]

Product & Advertisers’ Index MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - Supplement March 201156

Product Pg No Product Pg No Product Pg No

Aerosol multispray................................................ 47

Airline fluid .............................................................................. 47

Aluminium linear guide...................................................... 45

Assembly & high temperature grease .......................... 47

Auto-diffmachine simulation multi-axis..........................3

Bearing ................................................................... 45

Burr ............................................................................................. 21

CAD/CAM software................................................ 49

Carbide endmill tool ............................................................ 57

Chain oil.................................................................................... 47

Clamping tool......................................................................... 57

CNC............................................................................................. 58

CNC grinding machine ................................................30 ,31

CNC horizontal boring machining ..........................30 ,31

CNC horizontal machining centre ...........................30 ,31

CNC lathe ....................................................................4 , 30, 31

CNC machine.......................................................................... 58

CNC machine probing ...........................................................3

CNC machine simulation ......................................................3

CNC machine solution .................................................42 ,43

CNC machine tool................................................................. 30

CNC machining centre.................................................. 51,58

CNC profiler............................................................................. 51

CNC robodrill ...................................................................30, 31

CNC router ............................................................................... 51

CNC turning center ......................................................... 4, 58

CNC turning machine...................................................30, 31

CNC vertical chucker.....................................................30, 31

CNC vertical machining centre..........................30, 31, 58

Cold forming machine ...........................................................9

Collet.........................................................................................FIC

Composite application...........................................................3

Compressor oil ....................................................................... 47

Countersink .............................................................................BC

Cutting speed optimisation.................................................3

Cutting tool ................................................................................5

CV joint machine......................................................................9

Cylindrical & internal grinding........................................BIC

Diamond & CBN tool ............................................. 21

Diamond tool .........................................................................BC

Drill tool .................................................................................... 57

Drilling tool .............................................................................BC

Exhibition - Engineering Expo .......................53, 55

File .......................................................................... 21

Fine grinding & polishing tool......................................... 21

Gantry machine ....................................................... 9

Glass ........................................................................................... 13

Grease........................................................................................ 47

Grinding & cut-off wheel ................................................... 21

Grinding machine ..........................................................13, 37

Grinding tool ...................................................................13, 37

Gun drill ....................................................................................BC

High speed machining centre .............................. 58

Horizontal boring machine ..................................................9

Horizontal machining centre................................ 9, 32, 58

Horizontal turning centre .....................................................9

HSK taper ................................................................................FIC

Hydraulic & gear oil.............................................................. 47

HyperCAD ................................................................................ 49

Industrial power brush ......................................... 21

Instrumentation & control................................................. 41

Laser shaping system .....................................13, 37

Lathe .......................................................................................... 51

Metal cutting technology ....................................FIC

Metal cutting tool .........................................................FIC, 29

Milling cutter ..........................................................................BC

Milling tool .............................................................................. 57

Model export interface ..........................................................3

Modmachine simulation .......................................................3

Modular tooling system .....................................................BC

Mounted point....................................................................... 21

Optipath ................................................................... 3

Positioning system................................................ 45

Post processor........................................................................ 49

Precision steel .................................................................13, 37

Profiler .........................................................................................9

Program verification system................................................3

Reamer ...................................................................BC

Rotary table............................................................................. 45

Sleeve ....................................................................FIC

Solid carbide drill .................................................................. 29

Solid carbide drill with IC................................................... 29

Solid carbide mill .................................................................. 29

Solid carbide reamer ........................................................... 29

Solid carbide reamer with IC ............................................ 29

Solid carbide special drill ................................................... 29

Solid carbide special mill ................................................... 29

Solid carbide special reamer ............................................ 29

Solid carbide tool.....................................................................5

Special purpose machine ............................................. 9, 51

Stationary cut-off wheel..................................................... 21

Steep-taper tool ...................................................................FIC

Surface & profile grinding machine..............................BIC

Tap ..........................................................................BC

Threading tool........................................................................ 57

Tool drive ................................................................................. 21

Tool grinding .........................................................................BIC

Tool holder ......................................................................FIC, 51

Tooling system....................................................................... 57

Top drill....................................................................................FIC

Transparent gel...................................................................... 47

Turning tool ............................................................................ 57

Turnmill centre................................................................30, 31

Vertical machining centre ...................................... 9

Vertical turning centre ...........................................................9

Waterjet.................................................................. 51

Our

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ers

FIC - Front Inside Cover BIC - Back Inside Cover BC - Back Cover

Pg No Advertisers’ Tel Email Website

51 ABS India +91-80-25667750 [email protected] www.absindia.in

4 Ace Designers Ltd +91-80-22186700 [email protected] www.acedesigners.co.in

3 Cgtech India Software Solutions (P) Ltd +91-9845212147 [email protected] www.cgtech.com

42-43 Cosmos Impex (India) Pvt Ltd +91-265-3927000 [email protected] www.cosmos.in

53,55 Engineering Expo +91-9819552270 [email protected] www.engg-expo.com

29 G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd +91-80-40431252 [email protected] www.gwindia.in

BC Guhring India Private Limited +91-80-40322500 [email protected] www.guhring.in

58 Jyoti CNC Automation Pvt Ltd +91-2827-287081 [email protected] www.jyoti.co.in

FIC Kennametal India Ltd +91-80-22198341 [email protected] www.kennametal.com

BIC Korber Schleifring Gmbh +91-80-41554601 [email protected] www.schleifring.in

9 MAG Industrial Automation Systems +91-80-40677000 [email protected] www.mag-ias.in

5 MMC Hardmetal India Pvt Ltd +91-80-23516083 [email protected] www.mitsubishicarbide.com

45 Neelkamal Agency Pvt Ltd +91-80-26624006 [email protected] www.megagroup.co.in

41 NI Systems India Pvt Ltd +91-80-41190000 [email protected] www.ni.com

49 Openmind Cadcam Technologies (I) Pvt Ltd +91-80-30504647 [email protected] www.openmind-tech.com

21 Pferd-Swit +91-80-42187117 [email protected] www.pferd.co.in

47 Raj Petro Specialities Private Limited +91-44-42288900 [email protected] www.rajgrp.com

30-31 SAP Technical & Marketing Consultants +91-80-26662386 [email protected]

32 Starragheckert Machine Tools Pvt Ltd +91-80-42770600 [email protected] www.starragheckert.com

57 Taegutec India P Ltd +91-80-27839111 [email protected] www.taegutec-india.com

37 Tyrolit India Superabrasive Pvt Ltd +91-80-40953259 [email protected] www.tylolit.com

13 Wendt India Ltd +91-4344-405500 [email protected] www.wendtgroup.com

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Modern Machine Tools - Aerospace Supplement - September 2011