SOUTH AFRICAN AEROSPACE COMPANY DENEL AWARDED NEW € 12M CONTRACT FROM AIRBUS A third multi-million contract for the manufacturing of critical parts for the Airbus A400M strategic airlifter has been awarded to Denel Aerostructures. The “ribs, spars and sword” form the inside structure of the aircraft’s very distinctive vertical tail plane. The spars which are seven metres in length and the two metre long ribs will be manufactured out of composite materials at Denel Aerostructures’ production facilities in Kempton Park. The approximate € 12 million contract over a period of eight years places Denel at the core of the global aerospace manufacturing industry and demonstrates the confidence of major international companies in the design and manufacturing capabilities of the South African aerospace industry, which has proven to be reliable, innovative, capable to deliver on time and within budgets. It also confirms that South Africa is at the forefront of global trends to use composite materials for high-tech manufacturing. The aerospace sector is leading the move away from metallic structures towards advanced materials which offer superior properties such as durability, hardness, elasticity and high strength-to-weight ratios. Denel Aerostructures has made significant investments in a composite facility in which it is able to manufacture products ranging from simple aircraft parts to complex main rotor blades for helicopters. The raw carbon fibre material are bonded, moulded, heated and polished until the required properties are achieved. The South African Government, in its Aerospace Sector Development Plan, recognizes the immense potential of the composite sector, noting that it will be dominant in aerospace going forward and should be integral to future business planning.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 08:24:56 +0000
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