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Airbus announces A380 delay
Industry news
Airbus announces A380 delay AIRCRAFT MAKER Airbus has announced that the delivery schedule for the its new A380 will undergo a six to seven month delay as result of what it describes as ‘production rampup issues.’ This is expected to limit the number of aircraft delivered in 2007 to nine, although Airbus still expects certification and delivery of the first aircraft by the end of 2006. According to news reports, at least one customer is reconsidering its order for the aircraft as a result of this delay. Airbus says the delays are caused by industrial issues only and are mainly traceable to bottlenecks formed in the definition, manufacturing and installation of electrical systems and resulting harnesses. No problems were reported with the composites technologies employed in the new aircraft.
In a recent programme review Airbus concluded that deliveries during 2007 are likely be limited to nine, and that a shortfall of five to nine aircraft deliveries in 2008 and around five aircraft in 2009 could be expected, compared to initial plans. The review also concluded that further action is required to secure a ramp-up recovery in 2008 and 2009. Since the first flight of the first A380 in France in April last year, four more aircraft have taken to the air. The first two are involved in the flight test campaign, two others are being used for cabin testing and the fifth is currently undergoing customisation and cabin furnishing in Germany to be ready for first aircraft delivery at the end of this year. Airbus; www.airbus.com
Scott Bader boosts capacity in Middle East UK-BASED resin supplier Scott Bader is installing another 10 000 tonnes of unsaturated polyester resin capacity at its facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. The new reactor is expected to come on line in the second quarter of 2007. This investment will bring capacity at the Dubai plant up to 40 000 tonnes, which Scott Bader says makes it the largest polyester manufacturing plant in the Middle East. “The investment should give our key customers in this important region a high level of confidence that we are committed to growing with them and are
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able to meet their demand for our Crystic® resin products both now and in the future,” says Philip Bruce, the Scott Bader group’s managing director. Scott Bader supplies the full range of Crystic unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl esters and gel-coats to markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Far East and the Indian subcontinent from the Jebel Ali plant. The company also has manufacturing facilities in the UK, France, Croatia, and South Africa. Scott Bader; tel: +44-1933663100; www.scottbader.com
July/August 2006
Vought opens 787 facility VOUGHT AIRCRAFT Industries Inc has officially opened a 342 000 ft2 production facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA, that will provide composite fuselage sections for Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft. The building is located on a site adjacent to Charleston International Airport. Vought says that the facility was completed on schedule and within budget. Approximately 70 000 ft2 of the facility will be dedicated to a composites manufacturing clean room with interior clear heights of 40 ft. Its 787 autoclave is 30 ft in diameter and 75 ft long. A mezzanine-level walkway runs the length of the facility, from which all manufacturing cells are visible. A track system runs through the plant to transport the fuselage barrel sections in the
early stages of fabrication and assembly before they make their way to the integration facility next door. Global Aeronautica LLC, a joint venture between Vought and Alenia North America, operates the adjacent assembly and integration facility. Construction of the facility will be completed this month, with operations beginning before year end. “Ultimately, we believe this facility can become a hub for aerospace engineering and technology that will put South Carolina on the map when it comes to the aerospace and composite materials industries,” announced South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford at the opening of the facility. Vought Aircraft Industries Inc; www.voughtaircraft.com
A380 delay impacts Hexcel revenues HEXCEL Corp, Stamford, Connecticut, USA, says that the A380 delivery delays announced by Airbus (see story on this page) are likely to reduce anticipated growth in revenues for its commercial aerospace business for the second half of 2006 and first half of 2007. The amount and timing of the impact will depend on Airbus’ instructions to its suppliers. “Early this year, we projected overall company revenue growth of 10% for 2006, led by commercial aerospace and wind energy growth rates in the teens and offset by the decline of ballistic fabric sales,” says David E.
Berges, Hexcel chairman, president and CEO. “While we, to date, have little information on the mechanics of the Airbus A380 delay, the increase in build rates of other aircraft still holds the potential for us to see commercial aerospace growth at 10% for the year without the benefit of growth from the A380 programme.” “With ballistic fabric sales continuing to decline from the surge levels of recent years, our total company growth rate for the year may move to the low single digits,” he added. HexcelCorp; www.hexcel.com
Airbus announces A380 delay AIRCRAFT MAKER Airbus has announced that the delivery schedule for the its new A380 will undergo a six to seven month delay as result of what it describes as ‘production rampup issues.’ This is expected to limit the number of aircraft delivered in 2007 to nine, although Airbus still expects certification and delivery of the first aircraft by the end of 2006. According to news reports, at least one customer is reconsidering its order for the aircraft as a result of this delay. Airbus says the delays are caused by industrial issues only and are mainly traceable to bottlenecks formed in the definition, manufacturing and installation of electrical systems and resulting harnesses. No problems were reported with the composites technologies employed in the new aircraft.
In a recent programme review Airbus concluded that deliveries during 2007 are likely be limited to nine, and that a shortfall of five to nine aircraft deliveries in 2008 and around five aircraft in 2009 could be expected, compared to initial plans. The review also concluded that further action is required to secure a ramp-up recovery in 2008 and 2009. Since the first flight of the first A380 in France in April last year, four more aircraft have taken to the air. The first two are involved in the flight test campaign, two others are being used for cabin testing and the fifth is currently undergoing customisation and cabin furnishing in Germany to be ready for first aircraft delivery at the end of this year. Airbus; www.airbus.com
Scott Bader boosts capacity in Middle East UK-BASED resin supplier Scott Bader is installing another 10 000 tonnes of unsaturated polyester resin capacity at its facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. The new reactor is expected to come on line in the second quarter of 2007. This investment will bring capacity at the Dubai plant up to 40 000 tonnes, which Scott Bader says makes it the largest polyester manufacturing plant in the Middle East. “The investment should give our key customers in this important region a high level of confidence that we are committed to growing with them and are
8
REINFORCEDplastics
able to meet their demand for our Crystic® resin products both now and in the future,” says Philip Bruce, the Scott Bader group’s managing director. Scott Bader supplies the full range of Crystic unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl esters and gel-coats to markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Far East and the Indian subcontinent from the Jebel Ali plant. The company also has manufacturing facilities in the UK, France, Croatia, and South Africa. Scott Bader; tel: +44-1933663100; www.scottbader.com
July/August 2006
Vought opens 787 facility VOUGHT AIRCRAFT Industries Inc has officially opened a 342 000 ft2 production facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA, that will provide composite fuselage sections for Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft. The building is located on a site adjacent to Charleston International Airport. Vought says that the facility was completed on schedule and within budget. Approximately 70 000 ft2 of the facility will be dedicated to a composites manufacturing clean room with interior clear heights of 40 ft. Its 787 autoclave is 30 ft in diameter and 75 ft long. A mezzanine-level walkway runs the length of the facility, from which all manufacturing cells are visible. A track system runs through the plant to transport the fuselage barrel sections in the
early stages of fabrication and assembly before they make their way to the integration facility next door. Global Aeronautica LLC, a joint venture between Vought and Alenia North America, operates the adjacent assembly and integration facility. Construction of the facility will be completed this month, with operations beginning before year end. “Ultimately, we believe this facility can become a hub for aerospace engineering and technology that will put South Carolina on the map when it comes to the aerospace and composite materials industries,” announced South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford at the opening of the facility. Vought Aircraft Industries Inc; www.voughtaircraft.com
A380 delay impacts Hexcel revenues HEXCEL Corp, Stamford, Connecticut, USA, says that the A380 delivery delays announced by Airbus (see story on this page) are likely to reduce anticipated growth in revenues for its commercial aerospace business for the second half of 2006 and first half of 2007. The amount and timing of the impact will depend on Airbus’ instructions to its suppliers. “Early this year, we projected overall company revenue growth of 10% for 2006, led by commercial aerospace and wind energy growth rates in the teens and offset by the decline of ballistic fabric sales,” says David E.
Berges, Hexcel chairman, president and CEO. “While we, to date, have little information on the mechanics of the Airbus A380 delay, the increase in build rates of other aircraft still holds the potential for us to see commercial aerospace growth at 10% for the year without the benefit of growth from the A380 programme.” “With ballistic fabric sales continuing to decline from the surge levels of recent years, our total company growth rate for the year may move to the low single digits,” he added. HexcelCorp; www.hexcel.com