Nasmyth’s new fuel connectors, on display at the airshow, are works of engineering art. Bulwell Precision, a subsidiary of the Nasmyth Group, has developed a method of producing solid fuel connectors without the need for casting.
The connectors, used throughout the wing to transport fuel to the engine, are produced out of a solid bar of aluminum. They offer reduced weight, cost, and lead time to Nasmyth customers such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce and ITP. Bulwell claims to save an average of 40% in weight over cast fuel connectors.
In addition, the connectors offer increased consistency and accuracy and longer product life. In fact, according to Bulwell, they will last forever if properly cared for.
The flexibility of Bulwell’s method – which includes software, tooling and machining – enables the production of one-off parts, not previously economical with casting. It also offers much faster turnaround on all components while reducing cost, streamlining the engineering change process and cutting time to market.
“If the designer wants to make a change to a part, we simply change the program and produce the product the next day,” explains Chris Henson, business development manager, Bulwell Precision. “A change to a casting, however, could take 10 weeks lead time just to make the mold and up to 28 weeks for the tooling alone.”
Bulwell machining also provides more consistency in terms of component weight, and wall thickness and smoothness, to minimize turbulence.
Source: Flight International
