Flying components programmed virtually
Helicopters have had a permanent place in the long history of Airbus since the 1960s. The Donauwörth site also looks back on a history characterized by aviation techno-logy. 1972 saw the establishment of Messerschmidt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH (MBB), in 1989 Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) acquired a stake in the company and in 1992 MBB merged with French Aérospatiale to form the Eurocopter Group. This became part of the EADS Group in 1999. As part of the restructuring and renaming to Airbus Group and later Airbus, Eurocopter be-came today’s Airbus Helicopters GmbH in 2014. Around 8,000 employees are responsible for the development and construction of helicopters for civil and military use at the location in Donauwörth. Machining processes are brought to series maturity and certified for each new component in mechanical production, so that production can also take place at other locations in compliance with all safety regulations.
Machine tools from DMG MORI have always played a decisive role in the machining of the high-quality components made of titanium, steel and aluminum. Among other things, two pallet pool systems were installed for this purpose each with five DMC 80 U duoBLOCK and DMC 80 H linear centers respectively. In the process configuration of new components, Airbus Helicopters relies on the DMG MORI Digital Twin, which guarantees reliable and efficient manufacturing processes.
Certified manufacturing processes for safety-related components
The safety of aircraft and helicopter passengers has always been a top priority for Airbus. This places extremely high demands on the technical expertise of the specialists and the quality of the sophisticated components in on the early production stage. “We only use the highest quality steel, titanium and aluminum alloys,” explain Thomas Heinrich and Steffen Rössner, both responsible for programming in mechanical production at Airbus Helicopters. As the workpieces are exclusively safety-related components, machining is carried out in frozen processes. “This means that once components and their manufacturing processes have been certified, nothing can be changed – neither programs nor tools.”
A major challenge in production at Airbus Helicopters is to ensure the most efficient and reliable production configuration for new components. With two manufacturing lines designed by DMG MORI, the team can maintain the production of the components in three shifts. Each system has four set-up stations. The high rack levels offer space for 80 pallets each. In addition to the large tool magazines of the five DMC 80 U duoBLOCK and DMC 80 H linear centers, external tool magazines with 800 locations for steel / titanium machining and 1,000 locations for aluminum machining provide sufficient storage space for sister tools. “The runtimes for each machining step are included in the programs so that the system new tools in good time before the stored tool life is exceeded,” says Steffen Rössner.
DMG MORI Digital Twin: Process simulation in the exact machine mirror image
Thomas Heinrich and Steffen Rössner use SIEMENS NX in the central programming department, including the simulation options available. “Since only the NC code is interpreted, without the software knowing the exact machine environment or the control system, these simulations have their limits,” says Thomas Heinrich. Airbus Helicopters found an optimal solution in the Digital Twin from DMG MORI. It represents the digital mirror image of an individual DMG MORI machine tool. This mirror image contains the work area with all components, including all functionalities such as movements and control functions as well as the NC and PLC and their cycles.
Reduced costs, thanks to faster production ramp-up, collision-free run-in and realistic training
“The exact 1 : 1 simulation of the programs brings us significant advantages,” emphasizes Steffen Rössner. “We can be sure that the machining process on the machine is collision-free, and achieve a significantly faster production ramp-up thanks to the virtual tests, while the systems continue to produce.” With a view to avoiding collisions, Thomas Heinrich adds: “The license for the Digital Twin certainly pays off if a major crash is avoided thanks to the simulation.” He mentions another advantage as well: “We can use the Digital Twin to identify unused production potential and develop it digitally.” In DMG MORI’s opinion, the functionalities of the Digital Twin go far beyond this. The strengths of the software also come to bear where training is concerned, for example. Realistic training without unproductive machine hours is a significant cost factor for companies. The possibilities of the DMG MORI Digital Twin fit perfectly into the day-to-day business and the philosophy of Airbus Helicopters. “The safety of our products has top priority. This applies likewise to our manufacturing processes,” says Thomas Heinrich linking the two aspects. “The Digital Twin is the perfect tool to guarantee this level of safety.”
You can find the duoBLOCK video at:
The duoBLOCK® series from DMG MORI - The benchmark across all industries
Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
Industriestraße 4
86609 Donauwörth, Deutschland
www.airbus.com