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Automation solutions for aviation

Drive your productivity to dizzying heights with the right automation.

Aviation

Highest demands on material, quality and efficiency

From small to large, top performance is achieved every day in aerospace manufacturing. From high-precision components for landing gear or flight controls to large valve blocks or structural components, high-quality, reliable and on-time manufacturing processes are crucial but so too are costs.

The increased volume of air traffic is leading to rising demand and manufacturing capacities have to be expanded. At the same time, more competitors are entering the market and price pressure is increasing. We want to help meet these challenges and ensure the ideal utilization and therefore cost-effectiveness of your high-tech machines with intelligent automation concepts. Low-manpower manufacturing can reduce costs and alleviate the shortage of skilled workers. Automated processes improve planning reliability and adherence to schedules and enable just-in-time component manufacturing.

The requirements of the aerospace industry

High mix/low volume
- Small batch sizes
- Series in quantities < 100
- Manufacturing in multiple setups
Top quality
- Highest demands on product quality
- Quality control after running-in of the first part mandatory
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High tool requirements
- Complex geometries
- High machining volume
- High tool throughput, especially for materials that are difficult to machine

The answer: automation

Automation from a batch size of one

We offer pallet handling with standardized workpiece carriers and individual clamping fixtures or robots with gripper changing systems for different parts. The operator is guided through changing activities via cell control.
Quality assurance during the machining process
Measuring tasks can be integrated into flexible manufacturing systems and performed automatically or during the machining process while machining is under way. Production data can be transferred directly to the quality management system.
Tool automation

The Tool Handling System THS enables automated tool changing from a central magazine. Intelligent interfaces for tool presetting eliminate waiting times for tools as well as errors.

Aerospace: How to automate your manufacturing

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PHS pallet handling systems

The PHS offers large workpiece storage unit and therefore long autonomy times for low-manpower or even unmanned manufacturing. Intelligent cell control helps manage resources and reduce the complexity of high mix/low volume manufacturing.

More information

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Tool Handling Systems THS

Due to partly high-strength materials, large part variety and high metal removal volumes, the tool requirement is enormous. Automated tool supply with central storage and autonomous tool change into the machine magazines relieves operators and reduces waiting times.

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LHRobotics.Vision

The technology package includes LHRobotics.Vision Software, which makes both precise object identification and selection and collision-free part withdrawal possible. Optionally, the software can also manage robot path planning up to the deposit position. An additional project-based vision system is required for this application.

Flexible manufacturing system at MTU: blade production with autopilot

The system we have created together is very complex and far ahead of the previous state of the art.

Marc Weiß, Head of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, MTU Aero Engines Munich

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Customer projects

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Liebherr Aerospace: revolution in valve block production

To manufacture the A350 valve block weighing a whopping 70 kg, two rough machining centers were automated with a PHS 750 Pro. 80 pallet storage locations provide a large work supply and therefore buffer time and enable low-manpower manufacturing. Tool storage (pictured on the left) ensures high autonomy, also in tool supply. Two setup stations enable setup to be carried out during the machining process.

  • Increase in machine capacity to 3 shifts/5 days (12,500 h/a)
  • Setup during the machining process
  • Spindle running times of over 90% achievable
  • Reduction of unit costs by 30%
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MTU Aero Engines: high-productivity manufacturing system for turbine blades

To automate the grinding of turbine blades, we created a unique manufacturing concept for MTU Aero Engines for small and medium series at their Munich site.

  • Automation for 5 gear grinding machines
  • Integrated tool and fixture management
  • Interface to automated robot cell for tool assembly
  • Unmanned production over the entire weekend (66 hours)
  • More than tenfold increase in employee productivity
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From the development phase to commissioning, mutual trust and close communication were crucial to our success. With Liebherr-Verzahntechnik as our industrial partner, we can continuously improve the reliability of our production equipment and guarantee optimum performance.

Mathieu Oulié, Methods Engineer, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS

Rotary loading system at Liebherr Aerospace

Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS, Liebherr's competence center for air management systems, has commissioned a five-axis high-performance machining center at its production site in Campsas (France), with our rotary loading system at its heart.

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