E-Sharp News August 2024

ANCA has a long and successful relationship with the aerospace industry with many of our machines utilised by world-renowned leaders. ANCA has sold numerous TX7 machines for unique and customised solutions within the aerospace industry, including our market-first dual robot automation cell. This innovation has delivered impressive production outcomes, such as automated turbine blade manufacturing, leading to repeat orders from existing customers and attracting new customers with machine envy.

The aerospace market is on the verge of a renaissance era, driven by disruptive technologies, electric passenger flights (e.g., eVTOL), the rise of smallsats, and a new space race reminiscent of the Cold War era. Renewed investments in traditional air travel post-COVID are also contributing. In 2021, smallsats accounted for 95% of all spacecraft launched, with 108 of the 186 total orbital space launches. As of 2022, approximately 72 countries had space programs, with 16 capable of space launches. Projects like Artemis and the ILRS (China & Russia) aim for a sustainable presence on the moon and ambitions to reach Mars, with numerous private enterprises following suit.

This renaissance era is driving global investments, with billions of dollars slated for spending in the coming years as governments seek a share of the burgeoning market. India, for example, is poised to become the third-largest aviation market globally, valued at close to $30 billion. Air India’s record-breaking plane purchase, the largest in aviation history, has boosted India’s total order to $50 billion for new aircraft. Globally, 37 new carriers have been introduced, roughly double those that closed last year, with around 2,500 commercial airplanes on order, each requiring up to 4 million parts (A380).

The future is bright for aerospace, with strong growth expected in tools and primary parts used in the industry over the next five years. It's an opportune time for those considering entering or investing in the aerospace market. The barrier to entry includes dealing with materials with poor machinability (except aluminium) and high expectations for quality with tight tolerances.

Due to the poor machinability of superalloys, CNC grinding has become a practical solution for primary part production, especially for finishing operations. ANCA’s TX7 Linear has proven capable of producing these primary parts (e.g., turbine blades and root forms) to a high standard with precision finish. Leveraging ANCA’s experience, customers can gain entry into the aerospace renaissance.

Why ANCA’s TX Linear is a configurable and agile solution

ANCA’s TX Linear platform offers a tried and tested solution for customers needing something configurable and agile to tackle trends in various tool and cutter markets. In aerospace, the current trend sees tools with unique and/or complex geometries, reinforced by the use of more exotic materials. This is reflected in market categories with the highest growth in the aerospace tool and cutter market: Composites (CAGR 5.4%), Non-Ferrous Alloys (e.g., Aluminum) and Super Alloys (e.g., Inconel and Ti), with CAGRs of 4.5% and 3.4%, respectively.

Products and tools used in aerospace are the “bread and butter” of ANCA’s flexible TX7 platform. Fir tree cutters, for example, used to cut the root form into a turbine disk, are often large cutters with complex profiles. The TX7 Linear has proven efficient at producing such tools with ease due to its ability to handle large tools, significant material removal, and meet the industry’s low tolerance requirements.

Additionally, the TX platform forms the base for our TapX machine, a crucial and complementary product for ANCA in aerospace. Taps required to thread harder materials like titanium need unique features for chip and tolerance control. The TX7 platform also includes established automation solutions utilising the unique TXcell machine, enabling autonomous production with secondary operations such as polishing, cleaning, laser marking, part scanning, and QC using aerospace-specific metrology. The TXcell has been used for volume production of blades and root forms, with dual robot cells enabling simultaneous secondary handling of parts, including serialising, scanning, metrology, and cleaning.

The TX7 Linear is one of ANCA’s most versatile machines, renowned for its power and stability. Coupled with ANCA’s extensive experience in aerospace and automation, we are prepared to address the challenges faced by new and existing customers, striving to find the most satisfactory solutions.
Is there an aerospace project you have in mind?

Is your current machine up to scratch? Are you looking to improve production times on more complex parts or offer more bespoke solutions? The versatility of the TX7 Linear and TXcell has delivered on these attributes for many customers and will continue to do so. Don’t be left wondering or, worse, left behind. Contact us to see how the TX7 can help you.

Aerospace industry requirements

• High precision, low tolerances
• Traceability
• Predictable and reproducible results

Materials commonly used

• High nickel content superalloys (e.g., Inconel)
• Aluminum alloys
• Titanium
• Composites

Primary and secondary grinding applications
Primary parts: turbine blades, root forms
Secondary parts: endmills, fir tree cutters, drills

Unique attributes of aerospace products

• Large and complex with many moving parts
• Subjected to high environmental stresses (vibration, heat)
• Fast-moving: civil aircraft (~1,000 km/h), defense aircraft (~2,500 km/h), rockets (~27,000 km/h)

Grinding vs. machining for primary parts

• Grinding offers low tolerance and high accuracy
• Superior surface finish
• Better machinability for difficult materials like Inconel, which has low machinability (10-20%) and high hardness (42 HRC).

Growth in materials used in tool and cutter grinding segments

• Composites: CAGR 5.4%
• Non-ferrous metals: CAGR 4.5%
• Super Alloys: CAGR 3.4%

30 July 2024