40 June 2024 Production Engineering Solutions pesmedia.com AEROSPACE WFL multifunction turning and milling centres are employed across various industries, with aerospace being a significant market. ArianeGroup, at the forefront of space transportation, stands as a prime example of utilising Millturn machines. The production of key components necessitates the use of reliable and precise machinery. The ArianeGroup site in Vernon, France, designs, develops, manufactures, and tests liquid hydrogen propulsion systems with much of its activity revolving around propulsion for launch vehicles. The site encompasses three test benches for cryotechnic thrusters and component testing benches. In total, six WFL machines are present on the site: four M60 Millturns and two M35 Millturns – all actively used for machining key components. “Machines from WFL are particularly crucial for us as we use them to manufacture highvalue parts,” states Dominique Delor, head of industrial maintenance. “The first M60 Millturn was acquired 20 years ago; since then three M60s and two M35s have been added to the production hall. Key components and critical parts produced on WFL machines are primarily rotating engine parts. “We primarily require precision and high rigidity in our machines because we machine hard materials that will undergo significant stress during use,” he adds. “Furthermore, process standardisation is part of ArianeGroup’s business strategy and in production, this entails working with the same machines and the same numerical control. This approach saves us time and allows all our operators to work on these machines. “Our satisfaction has increased as we gained experience with these machines – they’re highly accurate, precise, robust and reliable – and if we need a new machine, Millturns are top of the list. Our colleagues in Ottobrunn, Germany, are also impressed with Millturn machines. After visiting our production site in Vernon and the subsequent purchase of an M80, they were able to significantly reduce their production time. “For us, WFL’s service doesn’t stop at the machine itself: it extends into applications, WFL machines manufacture key components for aerospace
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