Tools for the Aerospace Industry

LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN COMPETENCE
Lightweight materials are finding more and more applications

Modern lightweight materials offer many different advantages. They make it possible to work in
a more energy-efficient manner, save materials and, at the same time, to increase performance
and productivity, particularly in mechanical and plant engineering.

Parts can be made significantly lighter by making use of lightweight materials. They are used
by the automobile and aircraft industry, among others, to create more efficient designs for
their vehicles. In spite of their lightness and the fact that less materials are required in their
production, these modern materials make it possible to manufacture parts that are stable and
safe. Therefore, lightweight design meets the demand for increased safety as well as that for
reduced fuel-consumption.

In close collaboration with our customers, such as those in the aerospace sector, MAPAL has
created a comprehensive range of tools for reliably machining modern materials. The range of
tools includes both tools for part manufacturing and those for final assembly.

Part manufacturing
In part manufacturing, the machining of parts is stationary, i.e. parts are cut in a machine in several clamping positions. While small to medium cubic parts can be machined on a machining
centre, large parts require special gantry machines.

Final assembly
Even today, handheld machines are still used in the final assembly of aircraft, due to their size.
For example, in final assembly lines (FAL), rivet holes are made in the outer skin of the aircraft’s
fuselage. The tools are equipped with special guiding elements.