Fives Partners with NRC Canada
They are developing a new profilometer for faster, more accurate part inspection of composite structures used in aerospace manufacturing.
Posted: January 24, 2019
As the aerospace industry in Canada and around the world continues to increase its use of automated composite manufacturing techniques to produce large aircraft components, the industry is eager to find systems to manufacture reliable, safe, and cost effective composite structures. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC; Ottawa, ON) and Fives Metal Cutting | Composites (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin), are working together to improve the efficiency of manufacturing composite parts by developing an advanced profilometer that will provide faster and more accurate part inspection.
“We are proud to work with them to advance this profilometer technology, pioneered by a multidisciplinary team,” stated Iain Stewart, the president of the NRC. “Our expertise, paired with their forward-thinking methods, will help achieve the original vision of developing an innovative, high-impact solution that enhances the efficiency of automated composite manufacturing and facilitates the digital transformation of the process.”
Based on an innovative optical technology, this profilometer for composite placement shows considerable advantages over existing inspection technologies used for the same purposes. This ground-breaking in-process inspection technology will help manufacturers meet strict standards by providing superior measuring information without limiting the process functionality. Faster, better measurements will speed up manufacturing processes, reduce the risk of errors, and help composite manufacturers be more competitive. Fives has already started the last testing stage of the next-generation profilometer with their customers and expects to begin commercializing the technology before the end of 2019. Together with the NRC, they will continue to work to advance this technology and bring innovative manufacturing solutions to the aerospace industry.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturing makes up nearly half of Canada’s aerospace sector and is home to more than 700 aerospace companies employing over 85,000 skilled professionals. The aerospace industry contributed $12.6 billion to Canadian GDP in 2017.
- The NRC aerospace manufacturing technologies centre supports industry, particularly the aerospace sector, in developing, demonstrating and implementing next-generation, cost-effective manufacturing methods
- Fives designs and supplies machines, process equipment and production lines for various industrial sectors and is a major supplier of composite manufacturing equipment to the aerospace industry. The engineering group employs close to 8,700 people in about 30 countries, mainly in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The Metal Cutting and Composites group that worked on this project has over 1,100 people globally.
“This is an exciting project for us because it demonstrates our commitment to advancing state-of-the-art composite application technology with productivity driven innovations for both new and existing installations,” said Steve Thiry, the president and chief executive officer of Fives Machining Systems, Inc. “We have a strong history of supporting innovation. By joining with the NRC, we are once again contributing to the evolution of cutting-edge technologies for the aerospace and defense industries,” added Erik Lund, the president and chief executive officer of Fives Lund Engineering.
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