Fabrication Capabilities

Vought offers full fabrication capabilities, and has the capability to produce structural aircraft components from any design medium through subassembly and kitting. The facility utilizes innovative manufacturing processes to continue our legacy of producing high-quality, dependable and economical aerostructures.

We lower our customers' outsourcing risks by providing strategic sourcing based on best value and schedule requirements. As part of our comprehensive sourcing capability, we provide the following production operations:

Sheet Metal Operations

Vought's Sheet Metal Operations are capable of providing turnkey processed detail parts with extremely tight tolerances, providing distinct technical competence. The following cells make up our Sheet Metal Operations.

  • The Sheet Stretch Cell performs state-of-the-art sheet stretching of large skins and leading edges, as well as medium and small skins.
  • The Flat Stock Cell features 3-axis computer numerical control (CNC) profiler and drill machines used to machine nested flat stock, a CNC-controlled roll form, brake forming, hydroforming and punch forming.
  • The Contour Extrusion Cell contains stretch form, CNC routers and conventional routers to profile, drill and inspect sheet metal material.
  • The Straight Extrusion Cell contains universal joggle presses capable of both hot and cold joggling, tracer routers and a CNC 3 axis MoDig Profiline router.
  • Tube Shop capabilities at Vought include deburr machines, CNC tube benders, a vector machine, a pull system for scheduling by product line, Hirschler Height gauges, an autofrettage machine, pressure test stand, wash and clean tanks, fitting installation tools and cable manufacturing tools.

Back to Top

Machining Operations

Machining Operations satisfy customer needs through a wide array of manufacturing capabilities. These capabilities have been consolidated into six manufacturing cells designed to provide the best performance in terms of quality, schedule and cost:

  • The Skin and Stringer Cell features NC spar mills that machine long stringers and spar chords up to 50 feet long. The universal tool with hydraulic clamping system allows quick set-up change and part handling for small lot size lean manufacturing and minimum initial nonrecurring tooling costs.
  • The 5-Axis Gantry Cell produces deep pocket/thin wall aerostructure details. These profilers produce monolithic spars and ribs up to 50 feet long and other high-degree-of-difficulty forging and castings.
  • The Medium 4- and 5-Axis (High-Speed) Machining Cell features a new 18,000 RPM 5-axis machining cell capable of extremely high throughput resulting from its flexible universal tooling, planning aids for work
    planning and linear transport system for optimal part shuttling.
  • The 3-Axis Machining Cell provides low-cost components produced by shop programmable machining centers.
  • The Large 4- and 5-Axis (High Speed) Machining Cell features three 30,000 RPM spindle machines and is capable of producing deep pocket/thin wall, monolithic parts. It has a pallet size of 157.5"x 59.1". It incorporates heat shrink holders, flexible universal tooling, and linear transport system for optimal part shuttling
  • Precision Machined Assembly provides accurate subassembly structures that require post assembly machining and/or bearing/bushing installation. The blue streak processes provide rapid turnaround involving engineering changes, prototypes, re-fabrication and repairs.

The organization is capable of producing large, complex, contoured structures, medium fittings and small detail parts.

Back to Top

Composite and Metal Bonding Operations

Vought has replaced traditional, labor-intensive bonding operations with automated systems and computerized process controls. Our bonding capabilities address the full spectrum of composite materials and configurations - including graphite, Kevlar, fiberglass, Nomex and high-strength polyimides - in small detail parts and large, complex, contoured structures.

  • The Metal Bond Layup Cell utilizes a 45-foot proprietary metal bond processing line, bond priming, pour coating, reticulation, laser projection systems and core fabrication for the layup of metal-to-metal and honeycomb core sandwich structures.
  • The Fiber Bond Layup Cell is predominantly a manual operation, although it incorporates innovative approaches to fiber bond manufacturing through the development of sophisticated automated tape laying, rapid-ply cutting with nesting capabilities, automated 5-axis core milling, extensive ultrasonic inspection capabilities, an automated perishable material tracking system, laser projection systems, abrasive waterjet system with flexible tools, and NC machining of composite parts.
  • The Autoclave Cell contains four gas-fired autoclaves and provides the curing capabilities required for fabricating large composite components up to 60 feet in length.
  • The Nondestructive Inspection Cell features automated ultrasonic inspection machines, radiography, eddy current, magnetic particle, fluorescent penetrant, acoustic emissions and NDT development laboratory.
  • The Core Fabrication Cell features a 5-axis CNC single spindle gantry core profiler, hot forming of non-metallic parts, routing, beveling, non-NC machining and scheduling capabilities.

Back to Top

Paint and Processing Operations

Paint and Processing Operations are conducted within facilities comprising more than 300,000 square feet of space. The 55,000 square foot fully automated, fully compliant processing facility is capable of processing parts up to 50 feet long for Chromic Acid Anodizing and Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection.

Painting Operations can paint structures ranging from small detail parts to medium-sized aircraft. Paint facilities are capable of handling both
compliant and non-compliant coatings.

  • Painting Cells capabilities include a detail/subassembly paint shop, a metal/composite bond paint shop, a silicone paint shop and a paint hangar.
  • The Shot Peening Cell is used to form skins and also shot peens large skins and/or stringers to increase fatigue life.
  • The Thermal Cells offers aluminum solution heat-treat capabilities.
  • The Physical Process Cell capabilities include saturation shot peen, shot peen forming, abrasive cleaning, flame spray and detail paint stripping.
  • The Age Creep Forming Cell simultaneously produces the required contour, final temper and mechanical properties required for aluminum alloys.
  • Processing Cell capabilities support alodine 1200, chromic  acid anodize, phosphate fluoride, titanium clean, alodine 1200 titanium, steel passivate, and clean for penetrant procedures.

Back to Top

Tool Design and Fabrication

Our integrated product development approach includes tool design in optimizing producibility. This approach provides a seamless interface between engineering design and manufacturing engineering.

This close working relationship and teamwork among employees have led to the application of advanced tooling concepts, including fixtureless assembly and laser alignment of large integrated structures.

Tool Design and Fabrication Operations provide high-quality, efficient tools for conventional and advanced detail fabrication, assembly and joining operations. Our areas of expertise include composite, automated manufacturing and very large assembly molds, fixtures and jigs.

Tools are designed using advanced computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) manufacturing methods. To ensure versatility in meeting customer needs, we can develop tooling either from conventional drawings or electronic data.

  • The Sheet Metal/Template Cell is used to fabricate form and trim tools to demanding specifications. These tools are developed using a state-of-the-art CAD/CAM system as well as development per engineering Mylars. This cell also is used in reverse engineering of tools from existing parts.
  • The Machine Fixtures Cell builds machine fixtures used on CNC and conventional machines. Close coordination between the cell and the customer is practiced to yield the highest quality tools possible. Machining Cell operations include CNC 3-and 5-axis contouring and boring, as well as conventional jig boring, planing, milling, turning and grinding. This cell works in close cooperation with other tooling cells to provide machining support.
  • The Plastics/Bond/Composites Cell is structured to respond to unique requirements and exacting demands of composite fabrication.
  • The Assembly Jigs/Fixtures Cell includes forming and assembly tools made from aluminum, steel, nickel, Kevlar, graphite, composite honeycomb, fiberglass and plastic, master patterns and castings. These tools are assembled using the latest laser interferometer technology.

 

 

© Copyright 2008 Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.
All rights reserved. View disclaimer