JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 49

maintain the lowest possible recurring costs
in order to make it profitable. The new plant
is located in an area that did not have any
high technology industrial culture. The company made a tremendous effort, investing
in people and training with many projects
launched with schools and universities in
Puglia.
The expansion of the Grottaglie plant began
in 2005 with the construction of a new
building, which is completely dedicated
to the production of sections 44 and 46 of
the Boeing 787. The new building's area is
equivalent to 15 football fields, and it has the
largest clean room in Europe.
The plant opened in April 2006, while the
assembly hall was still under construction.
All the machines needed to be installed and
the operating parameters had to be set up.
All the qualifications still had to be done.
Production began in November 2006,
with the fabrication of the pre-production
verification barrel. The first complete shipset
was delivered to Boeing at the beginning of
2007. A huge amount of work was done in a
very short time.

G.P. : Grottaglie's manufacturing process combines high-level automation and
traditional industrial processes, thus leaving
room for continuous improvements.
JCM: What are your improvement goals
in the area of composites?

G.P. : Our main goals are to maximize
the stability of the production flow and to
reduce costs. Flow reduction is also a key
factor to increase rates and minimize investments.
JCM: Without giving away any secrets,
what do your R&D programmes focus on?

G.P. : Alenia Aermacchi is involved in
several national and European research
programmes.
In the past years, our efforts for composite
applications have been oriented towards
developing more critical applications (from
secondary to primary structures) keeping
affordable costs, through the implementation of integrated structures (one-piece coThe company also focuses on the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) market
with the creation of unmanned platforms
specifically deve¬loped to demonstrate
innovative techniques and technologies,
and is involved in international collaboration programmes. The company also has
a strategic partnership with Boeing, in the
design and production of the stabiliser and
centre and rear fuselage of the new 787
Dreamliner.

The 787 Dreamliner programme
In February 2014, Boeing and Alenia

cured integral parts) using automation and
"no-prepreg" technologies (film and liquid
infusion). Alenia developed and patented
the multispar co-cured box concept, which
is the longest integrated composite part currently flying on the 787. For metals, growing
attention was addressed to titanium due
to the potential corrosion problems of the
aluminium coupled with carbon-reinforced
composites.
In the future, a growing interest is foreseen
for functional composites (self-healing,
thermally- and electrically-conductive,
self-diagnostic structures, structures with
acoustic damping capability). Additionally,
further exploitation of existing materials
with improved allowables could be obtained
through a deeper knowledge of failure and
ageing phenomena. Finally, thermoplasticbased composites could be a potential
alternative solution.
Increased attention will be also given to ecological issues and new fabrication techniques
for metals (e.g. additive manufacturing)
could also be an interesting option for the
future.
Aermacchi finalized a restructured contract
for the 787 programme. The contract
establishes a new performance-based business arrangement that will drive improved
operational performance for Alenia Aermacchi and the 787 programme. Based on
the market success and increased production rates of the 787 programme, Boeing
confirmed orders for additional shipsets
within the contract period. This agreement
will strengthen Alenia Aermacchi's relationship with Boeing, providing stability
to the company's industrial and business
performance. The company is successfully
providing the required performance to support programme rate increases that hit Rate
10. It produces fuselage sections 44 and 46
for the 787 programme at the Grottaglie
plant, and horizontal stabilizers in Foggia.
To date, it has delivered nearly 320 units.

Major production challenges
787 landed in Grottaglie plant during the world tour in 2012

The plant in Monteiasi-Grottaglie (near
Taranto) is solely focused on the 787
Dreamliner programme and employs
No96 April 2015 / jec

Feature Aeronautics

now Airbus Group, for the production of
turboprop regional aircraft. Furthermore,
the company is in charge of developing
ATR special versions for maritime patrol
and antisubmarine warfare.
Leading the Green Regional Aircraft
programme, Alenia Aermacchi also plays
a crucial role in the Clean Sky JTI (Joint
Technology Initiative) programme, a
project promoted by the European Commission to study the configuration of future
commercial aircraft, focusing on eco-sustainability, energy efficiency improvement
and acoustic impact reduction.

JCM: Do you think that it is still possible
to improve on your manufacturing processes?

composites magazine 49



JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015

Cover
Edito
Point of view : composites integration
Contents
COMPANY & BUSINESS
China
In brief
JEC Americas
Agenda of Events
APPLICATIONS
Catamaran
RIB
Trimaran
MARKET
Carbon fibre
FEATURE AERONAUTICS
Simulation
Cost-effectiveness
Low cost manufacturing
Thin-ply
High temperature
LFT
Thermoplastics
Laser projection
Release agent
Manufacturing
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Health Monitoring
Health monitoring techique for large composite structures
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
IOT
Braiding
Resin
Vacuum infusion
Machining center
PBT
Index
In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Point of view : composites integration
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - China
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - In brief
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - JEC Americas
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 11
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 12
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 13
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Agenda of Events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 15
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Catamaran
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - RIB
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Trimaran
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 20
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Carbon fibre
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 22
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 24
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Simulation
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 27
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Cost-effectiveness
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 29
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Low cost manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 31
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 32
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Thin-ply
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 34
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 35
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - High temperature
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 37
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - LFT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 40
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Thermoplastics
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 42
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 44
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Laser projection
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 46
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Release agent
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Manufacturing
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 49
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 51
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Health Monitoring
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 53
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 54
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Health monitoring techique for large composite structures
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 57
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 58
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 59
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - IOT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 61
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Braiding
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 63
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 64
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Resin
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 66
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Vacuum infusion
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 68
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Machining center
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 70
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 71
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - PBT
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - Index
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - In the world
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 75
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #96 - April 2015 - 76
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