Lockheed Martin has installed a new $1.5 million Makino machining centre at its Fort Worth, Texas, plant. Part of its advanced affordability initiative, the centre offers four to seven times faster processing speeds, including a 15,000rpm spindle speed, five times faster than on its F-16 line, and feed rates up from 2.5-12m/min. Demonstration components will be produced this year.
Source: Flight International