Shamban, a group offering complete aircraft sealing solutions

Citation

(2000), "Shamban, a group offering complete aircraft sealing solutions", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772faf.002

Shamban, a group offering complete aircraft sealing solutions

Shamban, a group offering complete aircraft sealing solutions

Keywords: Shamban, Aircraft, Sealing

It is essential that suppliers keep pace with the many changes going on in the aerospace industry, increasingly international programmes, customer consolidation and automotive style cost pressures. The Specialty Polymer Products division of the TI Group (TISPP) has recognised this by setting up Shamban, a dedicated aerospace seal business.

Announced officially at the recent Farnborough Air Show, the new operation brings together all of the aerospace seal activities within TISPP – companies such as Busak + Shamban (acquired late last year), Dowty, Specialised Elastomers and Woodville Polymer Engineering. The Shamban name has been chosen as the best-known polymer seal brand on a global basis from the collection of previous names. This move collects all the key resources required to service the aerospace market into single dedicated units in Europe and North America.

Shamban's combined expertise provides the ability to offer a "one stop" service for the complete range of static and dynamic sealing needs in elastomer, PTFE, thermoplastic and composite materials for aircraft applications including airframe, landing gear, hydraulics, engine, actuation, flight controls, wheels and brakes. The company believes this gives it the broadest capability in the industry.

In airframe seals, products range from simple silicone extrusions or simple standard cross sections (P seals or D seals), to inflatable cockpit canopy seals used for Hawk, Tornado and Typhoon. These fabric reinforced seals have a cross section that varies to match the design of the canopy and inflate to varying pressures to provide different levels of lift at different points around the canopy. In addition, the company makes complex multi-diaphragm inflatable fuselage fairings, up to 7m long, for swing wing aircraft. These compress to 10 percent of their normal height in a fraction of a second as the wing moves.

Increasingly in airframe seals Shamban are aiming to reduce customer costs by looking at the process of how the seal is incorporated into their product. It is often more appropriate for fitting work to be done as part of seal manufacture rather than on the customer's assembly line, e.g. bonding of metal or composite inserts.

A wide range of high temperature seals have been developed for engines. Shamban has a series of silicone/fluorosilicone materials qualified to operate continuously at 270°C. In addition it has recently launched a high temperature perfluoroelastomer, Isolast^(TM) HT, qualified at more than 300°C, usually for use in "O" ring form. Other typical applications are root fan blade annulus filler seals, engineered to provide optimum aerodynamic and airflow capability, contributing towards quiet and fuel efficient engines; also safety critical flexible fire seals fitted between isolated compartments of an aircraft structure providing high resistance to flame penetration in the event of fire.

Shamban also provides a comprehensive range of seals for the other sub-systems on aircraft, particularly in the hydraulics field. Complete seal sets can be provided for landing gear and other systems. Co-oxial seal assemblies are used in primary flight control applications where super finished tungsten carbide coatings are now being used instead of chrome plating and pressures have risen to 5,000psi. The new VL seal has recently been launched for piston and rod applications where long life, low friction and zero leakage are required.

To best meet the requirements for local service, the new organisation is independently managed in Europe and North America. However, needing to respond to the globalisation of the industry there are extensive joint projects between the two regions. Each uses technology developed by the other and parts are supplied from one to the other. In North America, the main technical, manufacturing and logistics centre is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with the dedicated sales team covering the Continent. In Europe, the centre of PTFE technical expertise and manufacturing is in Denmark; the centre of elastomer material expertise is in the UK, together with three dedicated elastomer seal manufacturing plants. The main logistics centres are in Germany and Holland and there are dedicated commercial teams in the UK, France, Germany Italy and Denmark. Aerospace sales in other countries are supported by the extensive network of TISPP sales companies across Europe.

With the PTFE centre in Denmark and the elastomer centre in the UK, Shamban has hundreds of aerospace approved materials. International recognition comes from the USA (NAS 1613, Mil-Specs and AMS), France (NFL), European EN specifications and UK (BS, DTD, AFS, NES). Development continues in both materials to ensure that the company continues to be able to meet changing application requirements. Recently £2.5 million was invested in a computer controlled elastomer mixing facility in the UK to ensure greater consistency and better monitoring of inputs and outputs. Nitrides, EPDMs, fluorocarbons, perfluoroelastomers, silicones and fluorosilicones are all made.

All Shamban facilities have design teams focused solely on the aerospace industry. This means that engineers are always available who are experienced in aviation requirements and who will not only be able to understand the terminology but will also be able to advise and recommend accordingly.

The experience of the Shamban engineers means that customers can draw on extensive resources relating to in-service and seal test data. Linking this facility to the in-house non-linear FEA system means that seal behaviour and performance can be accurately assessed and, in some cases, predicted. With the design tools available, geometry changes can be monitored relative to thermal effects, fluid swell and of course, pressure.

Theoretical and empirical design data is backed up by on-site testing in fully equipped laboratories. Tests can be arranged for linear and rotary seals to customer specific schedules. Full-life, accelerated and fatigue testing can be performed to provide customer confidence or to assist with the development and optimisation of existing seal configurations. All aircraft fluids and contaminants can be catered for and low temperature facilities are also available.

In responding to industry pressure to improve service and reduce costs, one of the advantages Shamban has is its membership of the TI Group, which has extensive automotive experience both within TISPP and in the TI automotive division. There is a deliberate ongoing migration of automotive style manufacturing techniques into Shamban's aerospace business. A range of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement activities have been applied. A typical result is the introduction of Direct Line Feed for seal deliveries direct to customer lineside. The system works with a simple trigger from customer assembly line to seal manufacturing shopfloor. Supplier and customer stocks are minimised, delivery reliability is improved and significant cost is taken out of customer shopfloor administration and procurement functions.

The aftermarket is supported by a combination of manufacturing rapid response units and strategic stock centres. Some regularly used parts can be manufactured and despatched within 24 hours of order receipt. Stock is held in the main logistics centres, Germany, Holland, Singapore and the USA, as well as key local markets such as France, Italy and the UK.

TISPP's objective is to harness this extensive capability – product range, material technology, design and testing expertise, manufacturing and logistics – into one dedicated business focused on the aerospace industry. By doing so Shamban aims to satisfy customer aspirations for better performing seals, reduced costs, reduced suppliers and better service.