The markets: Aerospace (2021)
The coronavirus pandemic, a once-in-a-millennia global catastrophe, has depressed commercial air travel in unprecedented and disastrous ways. Implications start with the airlines themselves and trickle down to major airframers and the entire tier structure of the aerospace supply chain.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
Spirit AeroSystems to lead MOSQUITO uncrewed fighter development
U.K. government awards £30-million, three-year contract to design and manufacture a prototype supporting more than 100 jobs in Belfast.
Boeing conducts inspections of 787 composite inner fuselage skin
Boeing reports that it is checking the flatness of inner fuselage skins on all undelivered 787s to verify structural integrity.
Spirit AeroSystems reports third quarter earnings
Although Spirit’s revenues declined 58% in the quarter compared to third quarter 2019, CEO Tom Gentile says the company anticipates steady growth going forward as the 737 MAX returns to service.
WSU-NIAR awarded $13.5 million for high-speed missile materials research
Partnership with Spirit AeroSystems will develop manufacturing processes and material characterization for advanced composites for future thermal protection systems.
Spirit AeroSystems completes Bombardier acquisition
Spirit pays $865 million for Bombardier’s Belfast, Northern Ireland, plant, plus others. The Belfast facility fabricates the infused composite wings for the Airbus A220 single-aisle aircraft.
Spirit, Bombardier renegotiate terms of Bombardier Belfast sale
Spirit AeroSystems agreed last year to acquire Bombardier’s Belfast plant, which makes the composite wings for the Airbus A220. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled both sides to re-evaluate the value of the transaction.
Update: Lower wing skin, Wing of Tomorrow
Airbus is evaluating several advanced composites technologies as part of its Wing of Tomorrow program. Among these is liquid resin infusion of the lower wing skin, being developed by Spirit AeroSystems.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
Episode 34: Carmelo Lo Faro, Solvay Composite Materials
Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay Composite Materials, talks about how he sees aerocomposites evolving in the time of COVID-19, the rise of computational power to evolve composites use, the prospects for increased composites use in the automotive market, and the increasing importance of education in the composites industry.
Teijin Ltd. Tenax carbon fiber qualified for Airbus A320neo
Tenax dry reinforcements non-crimp fabrics and braided fibers will form the skins and stiffeners via automated RTM.
Thinking machines
Algorithm-based artificial intelligence, once only imagined, is here. It can do a lot of good.
High-rate, automated aerospace RTM line delivers next-gen spoilers
At Spirit AeroSystem’s Prestwick facility in Scotland, a glimpse of the future of aerocomposites manufacturing in a resin transfer molding line for A320 spoilers.
Reading tea leaves: The outlook for aerospace
The coronavirus pandemic promises to wreak havoc on the aerospace composites supply chain, but it’s not too soon to start thinking about how a post-pandemic commercial aerospace market will evolve.
Spirit AeroSystems pauses work on 20 737 MAX shipsets
The move was made following a request from Boeing that Spirit pause additional work on four 737 MAX shipsets and avoid starting production on 16 737 MAX shipsets to be delivered in 2020.
Webinar presentation: Next-Generation Composites Materials and Processes (July 2020)
CompositesWorld hosted on July 28, 2020, a webinar titled, “Next-Generation Composite Materials and Processes.” If you missed the live webinar, you can watch the recording or download a PDF of the presentation.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
Boeing pauses 737 MAX delivery and production
Spirit notes that it will take determine a definitive plan with Beoing for the 737 MAX.
Composites suppliers, fabricators respond to coronavirus
Companies across the composites industry supply chain share how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their businesses, and how they are available to help.
Spirit AeroSystems to power Wichita facility with wind energy
The company’s 12.8 million-square-foot aerospace manufacturing facility will be converted to Kansas wind-generated electricity.
Spirit AeroSystems announces new cost-reduction measures in light of coronavirus
Measures taken include an extended suspension of production for Boeing aircraft and workforce reductions.
Boeing suspends Puget Sound production operations in response to coronavirus
Beginning March 25, production operations in the Puget Sound area of Washington, U.S. are suspended until further notice.
Spirit AeroSystems suspends Boeing production work
The announcement follows Boeing’s temporary suspension of Puget Sound production activity due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Aerion Supersonic, Spirit AeroSystems expand composites agreement
Spirit will expand its work on the composite forward, pressurized fuselage for the AS2 supersonic business jet, leading to full-rate production in 2023.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
The black swan events hitting the composites industry
From the Boeing 787 to COVID-19: When the out-of-the-ordinary becomes ordinary — and affects the manufacturing supply chain.
Spirit AeroSystems acquires Fiber Materials Inc.
FMI is an industry-leading technology company specializing in high-temperature materials and composites for defense.
Spirit AeroSystems opens new spoiler manufacturing facility
The Scotland-based facility will use advanced composites technology for high-volume production of spoilers for the Airbus A320 aircraft family.
DC dielectric sensors for industrial composites production
Synthesites in situ process monitoring enables cure decisions based on real-time Tg evaluation that can reduce cure cycles by up to 50%.
SAERTEX extends carbon fiber contract with Bombardier
SAERTEX supplies textile reinforcement materials and carbon fiber noncrimp fabrics, with which Bombardier produces wingskins for the Airbus A220 aircraft at its Belfast facility.
Airbus, Québec government become sole owners of A220 program
Bombardier exits the commercial aircraft manufacturing business. Airbus owns 75% of the A220 program; Government of Québec owns 25%.
