RECORD NUMBERS FOR AIR SHOW

This year’s show set new records for attendance, with 500,000 people present. The total display area was the largest ever, and dollar value on contracts signed was announced at around $63 billion.

Makino President Don Lane was one of those in attendance. He says the atmosphere at the show was very positive this year. “I think there’s a lot of excitement over in Europe about the advances being made in the aerospace industry, and that excitement was evident at the Paris Air Show,” Lane says. “You come away with the realization that aerospace is still a very big business, and that the industry has a lot more going for it, even during our current economy, than many may realize.”

NEW SUPPLIER TRENDS

Suppliers were also well represented at the Paris Air Show, and several conference sessions were held to discuss issues and new trends relevant to aerospace part manufacturers and materials suppliers.

Lane notes that many of the suppliers he talked with were still very positive on the aerospace industry, and that demand for quality supplies and suppliers is still paramount. “There is a lot of pride out there on both sides. And that pride is generating new ideas, spurring on new investment, and stimulating new processes for manufacturers and suppliers. That is leading to the demand for new equipment to meet the ‘need for speed’ in the industry. Faster times to market and reduced cycle times for manufacturing makes modern technological innovations in manufacturing essential; we’re finding we just can’t go fast enough!”

This year, a new pavilion, called the Global Solutions Pavilion, offered a variety of panel discussions to address various issues affecting aviation and the aerospace industry suppliers and manufacturers. On Tuesday, for instance, attendees had the opportunity to sit in for a panel discussion called “At Face Value: Metals and Materials for the Aerospace Industry.” The panel discussion revolved around industry trends and the changing future needs of the aerospace industry.

Another panel discussion of interest to suppliers in the Global Solutions Pavilion was called “Facing Critical Challenges in the Aerospace Industry.” Former Astronaut Walt Cunningham led the discussion, in which leaders from respected organizations discussed the critical challenges and changes facing the aerospace industry today.

COST REDUCTION STILL KEY

What other trends affecting suppliers could be spotted at this year’s Paris Air Show? Reduction in supply cost was a key issue discussed at the show. “There was a lot of talk about cost reduction,” Lane says. “And that reinforces Makino’s strategies for developing new processes and new machines.” Lane cites Makino’s MAG4 high-speed machining center. Designed for large, aluminum monolithic parts, the MAG4 delivers high productivity machining to reduce both cutting time and non-cutting time for structural aerospace pieces. This also reduces cutting time with high-power, high-speed machining and maximizing spindle usage by allowing for loading and unloading of parts during machining.

Lane noted it was very evident from talking to customers at the show that the pressure for success in all elements of the aerospace industry was truly a global challenge. “We oftentimes get caught up in day-to-day business activities of our companies and our regions, particularly in the U.S., that this pressure is just domestic. But the impact of any success or challenge in aerospace development and manufacturing is truly global.”

INNOVATION MAKES A BIG IMPRESSION

This year, 226 aircraft were exhibited. Airbus had record-breaking sales, with firm orders for 155 planes over the course of the show, including an $8.7 billion order for 111 aircraft, an order placed by International Lease Finance Corporation, Airbus’s largest customer. Among those were orders for the Airbus A380, a super-jumbo aircraft seating 555 passengers.

The greatly anticipated Sonic Cruiser from Boeing was unveiled, which just may change the way people fly. That’s because it is designed to fly at speeds of up to Mach .98 (98 percent of the speed of sound), or even faster, over extended ranges. That means flight times will be reduced approximately 20 percent. In practical terms, that’s one-hour savings for every 3,000 miles flown. And the Sonic Cruiser is also able to fly further without stop, meaning more direct flights will be possible.

Boeing’s large-scale display model drew much attention. The model, a 1/40-scale replica 6 feet in length, shows the Sonic Cruiser’s sleek, innovative design. The plane features a large wing placed farther back on the fuselage than you see today, as well as a pair of small, wing-like extensions called canards near the nose of the airplane. At the rear of the airplane are two engines. The design drew a lot of attention from spectators and the press alike.

Other notable aircraft also on display were:

• Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk, an endurance UAV the size of a business jet, capable of flying at an altitude over 17 kilometers with a range of 26,000 kilometers
• Northrop Grumman’s B2, the strategic stealth bomber used for US military operations in Kosovo
• Boeing’s B 737-900, the longest aircraft of the third B 737 generation
• The Russian aircraft, Antonov 225, the largest carrier in the world

“Innovation indicates that there is still a great deal of activity ahead for aerospace manufacturing,” says Lane. “I was impressed with the technology going into each and every element of the airplanes on display, both large and small. It proved not only to be educational, but a great deal of fun. And, from Makino’s standpoint, it proves our investment in a specialized Aerospace Group continues to be a good move, and allows us to focus on customer needs and solving problems within the industry.”

As for the excitement generated at this year’s show over the Airbus A380 and the Boeing Sonic Cruiser innovation? Well, it may be some time before the results are seen by the general public, according to Lane. The Airbus A380 is not scheduled to be in service until 2006, and it will probably be another two years beyond that before we see the Boeing Sonic Cruiser hitting runways.

However, Lane adds that design work and process development is underway right now, which is good news for parts manufacturers. He notes that large monolithic part development will drive innovation on the Airbus A380 while speed to market will drive development of the Boeing Sonic Cruiser.

REGIONAL CARRIER EXPLOSION

Besides the large airline innovations, there may even be a more important marketplace for many aerospace parts manufacturers and suppliers. Lane says there is an explosion of activity underway with regional airline manufacturing.

“New technology and processes should help create high quality and reduced cost parts for this growing marketplace,” says Lane. “More than any other industry, the plane and engine OEM’s in aerospace are seeking out and validating new approaches. This is great news for first, second and third tier suppliers who are usually more innovative and who operate a leaner manufacturing approach.”

Lane concludes that one thing is certain; aerospace manufacturing is booming around the world. “I was also impressed with how global the industry truly is in aerospace manufacturing. The Paris Air Show is a microcosm of what the word marketplace is really like. And, if a supplier anywhere is only dealing with the company down the street or in the neighboring area, opportunities for growth are being missed. Every supplier in the world, large or small, should be at Paris to really understand the potential which exists for new customers, new relationships and new business opportunities.”

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