Solution developed by concurrent engineering
The specialist for big size titanium and aluminium investment castings TITAL from Bestwig Germany succeeded in reducing the scrap rate of a Eurofighter part by 30% at the customer's shop floor. In cooperation with their British customer BAE SYSTEMS TITAL succeeded within only 10 months to develop a re-design for a large size sand casting-part for the aircraft with a weight of about 20 kilograms. The new part is produced applying the patented HERO-premium-casting® process for aluminium.
BAE SYSTEMS is customer of TITAL since 2001, as sales manager Michael Kersting explains: "When we started our relationship with BAE SYSTEMS at first we produced just two cast parts of about 3 kilogram weight. The low scrap rate, the high dimensional stability and the excellent quality of this aluminium investment casting was very well noted at BAE SYSTEMS. Today we manufacture 18 different parts for BAE SYSTEMS. Based on the HERO premium-casting® process for aluminium TITAL is in a position to produce castings according to casting factor CF1."
In 2000 TITAL and BAE SYSTEMS had first contacts and started business with 2 parts in 2001. "The cooperation and work ethic from TITAL has proved very beneficial for both parties" reports Jim Addison from BAE SYSTEMS Warton Unit. "TITAL is recognizing challenges very quickly and problems are mutually worked and solved in the way of concurrent engineering." The solution of manufacturing components as investment casting has been proven for many years now.
The case of the latest cast part achieved the desired cost saving and was achieved within a few months. Today the scrap rate at BAE Systems is close to zero. The total required quantity of this part amounts to 400 pcs within the next 3 years.
Jim Addison: "The co-operative and collaborative approach together with high, repeatable quality of parts and reliable delivery performance married with aggressive, competitive pricing have been major factors in winning further business."
The latest casting is exposed to loads on the aircraft and high strength characteristics are an important factor in its design parameter. The component is structured with several technical undercuts. Again sales manager Michael Kersting: "We deliver this part fully machined and surface treated. It is one of the biggest parts we have in production. At the start of this project, few believed that an investment casting would realise the overall benefits now experienced.