Navigating intricacies with ease
In the bustling halls of this year's EMO exhibition in Hannover, Germany, two companies are making waves in the aerospace manufacturing sector. Cutting tool manufacturer Paul Horn and tooling specialist Exactaform are demonstrating their innovative solutions, each on four different machine tools.
Composite materials like carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) are increasingly used in the aerospace industry due to their lightweight and high strength properties. However, drilling CFRP aerospace parts comes with its own set of challenges. The material's fiber and resin structure must be managed precisely to avoid damage, and Exactaform addresses these challenges with its new generation of cutting tools.
Exactaform's tooling design incorporates specialised drill geometries and optimised cutting parameters to navigate the unique behaviors of each layer in the CFRP stack. This approach aims to improve hole quality, tool life, and process reliability in aerospace manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Paul Horn is showcasing its live machining capabilities, demonstrating how modern drills and routers can navigate material transitions and ensure efficient chip evacuation. These tools incorporate variable helix angles, point geometries, and flute designs to manage the abrasive and thermally sensitive nature of CFRP, the softness and built-up edge (BUE) issues with aluminium, and the toughness and work hardening tendencies of titanium.
Elsewhere in the UK, Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform has been adopted by the National Composites Centre (NCC) and extended to other innovation centres within the UK High Value Manufacturing Catapult network. This digital platform is expected to streamline the design, simulation, and production processes for composite materials.
Investments in machinery are also driving innovation. Brookhouse Aerospace has invested over £500,000 in additional machinery to extend its engineering capabilities as part of its wider growth and investment strategy.
Looking ahead, Mapal will be presenting a range of its latest innovative tooling solutions with a focus on aerospace, automotive, and fluid power sectors at Advanced Engineering 2025. The company is currently developing these solutions with an emphasis on addressing common industry issues, such as not accounting for fibre orientation when drilling.
In the world of aerospace manufacturing, innovation is key to meeting the growing demands of the industry. Companies like Exactaform, Paul Horn, Dassault Systèmes, Brookhouse Aerospace, and Mapal are leading the way, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with composite materials.
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