One stop shop in composites

Citation

(2006), "One stop shop in composites", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 78 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2006.12778aab.007

One stop shop in composites

One stop shop in composites

Keywords: Aerospace industry, Aircraft components

NPL Technologies, one of the UK's largest pattern and model maker and a key supplier to the aerospace industry, has recently completed a one stop shop for carbon fibre components and appointed a manager for composites.

The new facility is based at NPL's Nuneaton Factory and provides the complete process covering: component design support, mould design in CAD, pattern production either in composite board for making carbon fibre moulds or direct machining of aluminium to make aluminium moulds for producing carbon fibre components, lamination, pre-preg kit cutting and component manufacture. NPL also has facilities to manufacture inserts which are moulded into the components and delivered to the customer ready for use.

Tony Lowe, Managing Director, NPL Technologies, said: “We believe our total package is unique – we offer the customer a one-stop shop which reduces the times between design and delivery to the customer.”

The new composites facility includes two Scholz Autoclaves – one 5 × 2.1 m diameter with a working temperature of 200°C at 14 BAR and a smaller version – 2.2 × 1:3 m diameter with a working temperature of 175°C at 20 BAR (Plate 4).

Plate 4 NPL Technologies' one stop shop for composites includes two Scholz autoclaves

The clean room has a CMC pre-preg cutting machine and the large trim shop has free coat, inspection and despatch areas (Plate 5).

Plate 5 The clean room at NPL Technologies' new one stop shop facility for composites

The manufacture of bonded-in stainless steel and titanium inserts, commonly used in the production of carbon fibre components, is supported by NPL's comprehensive three- and five-axis high speed machining department.

Richard Irons, who has some 15 years experience in composites with McLaren, Tyrrell and Minardi, has been appointed Composites Manager.

He said: “This is a very exciting time for NPL and we have already had contracts which confirm our expectation to increase our orders in aerospace, motorsport, automotive and marine.”

There is no doubt the one-stop shop package provides our customers with a reliable, fast, high quality and technologically advanced service.

Details available from: NPL Technologies Ltd, Tel.: +44 (0) 24 7658 0700, fax: +44 (0) 24 7658 0727, e-mail: info@npltech.co.uk; web site: www.npltech.co.uk