Airbus in Bremen Achieves 1 Million Cycles on Flexform(TM) Fluid Cell Press
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KENT, Wash., Nov. 8 - The German Airbus facility in Bremen has reached 1 million cycles on their Flexform high pressure fluid cell forming press. The equipment was originally installed in 1989. The press is equipped with two shuttling tables, each with a 1.2 x 3 meter forming tray, and operated with an automated tool pallet handling system enabling a total of 8 pallets to be loaded and unloaded in a highly mechanized procedure.
A flexible diaphragm in the press exerts a forming pressure of up to 1,400 bar (20,000 psi, an equivalent press force of 73,000 tons), using one-piece low cost tooling. This ultra-high pressure permits economical close-tolerance forming of highly complex sheet metal shapes. The system gives the flexibility to produce very large panels as well as multiple small parts in all types of metals. Airbus forms mainly aluminum parts on the press, but the equipment can also process mild steel and harder materials such as titanium and stainless steel.
The press, manufactured by Avure Technologies (formerly known as ABB Metallurgy), has a central position in the Airbus metal forming center in Bremen. "We produce 45% of all sheet metal parts made by Airbus in Germany," says Manfred Kupke, Senior Manager Future Forming at the Airbus facility. "Even after a million cycles, the Avure press continues to perform well, and we expect it to go on being a vital and strategic component in our operations. To get such a performance is the result of successful teamwork between Manufacturing, Maintenance and the Avure service department."
Continuous advances in fluid cell tooling result in a growing percentage of finished parts directly off the press. "Compared to past years, there is noticeably less manual correction to parts," says Mr. Kupke "and the higher precision means we can meet ever-more-critical assembly tolerances."
More than 3,300 persons are employed at Bremen, the second largest Airbus site in Germany. Established here is the whole process chain for the high-lift elements of Airbus wings: the project office, technology engineering, flight physics, system engineering, structure development, verification tests, structural assembly, wing equipping and delivery to the final assembly line. In addition, Bremen is part of the Center of Excellence for forward and aft fuselages, manufacturing sheet metal parts such as clips and thrust crests for all Airbus aircraft.
Avure will be featuring Flexform technology at the Fabtech show, November 11-14, 2007, at Booth #17145, South Hall, McCormick Place in Chicago.
About Avure Technologies, Inc.: Avure Technologies specializes in the design, manufacturing, installation, and global support of high pressure presses for sheet metal forming, densification of advanced materials and critical industrial parts, and high pressure pasteurization to keep food fresh longer and pathogen-free. The company has its headquarters in Kent, Washington (Seattle area), with other principle operations in Vasteras, Sweden and Columbus, Ohio.
Contact
Glenn Hewson,
Vice President
of Global Marketing,
+1-253-981-6239,
at glenn.hewson@avure.com
Source: Avure Technologies, Inc.
or Europe/Asia,
Sture Olsson,
+46 21-327-241,
sture.olsson@avure.se,
both of Avure Technologies, Inc.
Web site: http://www.avure.com/
