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Aerovac Kitting Solutions Package Efficiency and Success
High-rate manufacturing is expected to dominate the commercial aerospace sector, with Boeing and Airbus eyeing build rates of 60-100 per month. Amid this trend, aircraft manufacturers are welcoming any opportunities to create efficiencies in production processes. Composites One can help meet the demand for automated processes and other manufacturing benefits to help make larger aircraft that are fuel-efficient and safe.
A considerable time component of composite part manufacturing is the process of tailoring materials to fit the mold tool, from prepreg to the range of vacuum bagging process material typically required to cure a composites part. This tailoring process is often manual, which can lead to inconsistencies and quality variability.
Aerovac eases the process of using process materials
Aerovac’s kitting service solves many of the challenges of using process consumables in composites part manufacturing. It involves pre-cutting the material to simple predetermined shapes and dimensions, to assembling complex multi-layer integrated vacuum bag assemblies, giving customers an efficient alternative to preparing and cutting consumables on their own. Kits are especially useful in aerospace composites manufacturing for applications including wings, empennage skin panels, fuselage barrels, and winglets.
The product line of custom kitting solutions from Aerovac allows manufacturers to reduce material waste and lower costs while increasing productivity. Custom kits reduce the need for manpower in assembly-line stock and storage, as well as in materials handling, offering added health and safety benefits for manufacturing workers.
Aerovac offers three levels of kitting solutions based on manufacturer needs:
- Basic kits include materials slit to defined widths, most suited to simple, high volume or large shapes.
- Intermediate kids include packs of cut shapes grouped together and stored by product group.
- Full kits include 3D-shaped combination products and all the parts for a particular composite structure.
Aerovac’s custom kits are available in many product categories, including2D welded vacuum bag, combination products, stitched breather, 3D welded bag, pre-folded bag with pleats, pleated combination kit, and pre-cut format bag. Kitting solutions cater to manufacturers of small parts to complex shapes in high-volume production.
