Opportunities for cutting tool manufacturing in the aerospace engineering sector

Cutting tool manufacturers get a significant portion of revenue from the automobile and auto-component industry. However, with the development and acceptance of electric vehicles gaining traction, cutting tool manufacturers should explore opportunities in other industries like aerospace to offset any probable revenue loss in the future. This article outlines the various opportunities cutting tool manufacturers can explore in the aerospace engineering sector. It also attempts to outline multiple industry challenges so that cutting tool manufacturers can be better prepared.

Aerospace engineering market definition

The aerospace engineering market consists of aerospace equipment sales (including aircraft) and related entities that produce the following-

1. Commercial aircraft,
2. Undertake aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services
3. Produce support and auxiliary equipment, such as radar, air traffic control towers, and satellites for civilian purposes.

According to Business Research Company, the global aerospace engineering market had increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% since 2015. The market decreased at a rate of -14% in 2020. The decline is mainly due to lockdown and social distancing norms imposed by various countries and economic slowdown across countries due to the COVID-19 outbreak and its measures. However, experts opine that the market will recover and grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2021 and reach $358.8 billion in 2023.  

Some growth factors driving the aerospace engineering market

According to experts, the global aerospace engineering market is set for explosive growth soon because of the following factors-

1. Significant acquisition of defense aircraft by countries like India
2. Increasing spending capacity in emerging markets resulting in higher traffic and demand for commercial airplanes.
3. Increasing use of drones in commercial as well as defense applications
4. The growth in all the areas mentioned would also lead to an increasing need for MRO (Maintenance, Repairs, and Operations) and related services 
5. Above growth drivers will also give impetus for the aerospace component manufacturing

Three key emerging trends for cutting tools used in aerospace engineering

1. Achieving high-quality surface finishes in one operation is a critical trend that is emerging for cutting tool manufacturers. Reducing tools, tool changes, and movement within an application is always highly desirable. Time is the highest cost in any machined component, so eliminating steps has large economic repercussions that force many end customers to seek opportunities to rough and finish with the same tool.
2. There are airframes, engines, hydraulics, electronics, landing gear in aerospace engineering and manufacturing, etc. All have their own set of machining challenges, material challenges, and unique demands. These demands will require the cutting tool manufacturers to develop strategies and products that address each market portion. 
3. Productivity, quality, repeatability, and traceability are some criteria cutting tool manufacturers must satisfy to supply discerning aerospace customers. Low cost per meter is an essential desire.

Four main challenges in aerospace machining that cutting tool manufacturers need to be aware

Regulation-

The aerospace engineering sector is highly regulated. This regulation is necessary as well since human life is at stake. Companies who want to get into this sector have to be ready to undergo an extensive and detailed certification process. The detailing in the certification can be so in-depth that in some cases, the aerospace companies may have a certificate for everything, e.g.-

1. The part/component
2. The material that the supplier is using
3. Production equipment like the machine tool used by the supplier
4. The process used by the supplier. Even the cutting tool that the supplier uses.

An example of how regulation may affect cutting tool manufacturers-

A rotating part undergoes more scrutiny than a static part and typically has tighter tolerance. A cutting tool selected for machining a rotating part will experience many inspections before being accepted. Moreover, since the numbers are low, an in-depth review is possible and is done meticulously.

Variety of materials to be machined-

The most common materials used in the aerospace components are-

1. Nickel-based
2. Composites
3. Composite stacked

Apart from the above, a combination of these materials, i.e., different types of materials layered together, is also gaining acceptance. These composite stacked materials are tough to machine.

Within the composites, aerospace components also have thermoplastics in them, which have lower melting points. Hence, on top of the variability of using proprietary materials, the risks of melting and deformation are considerably higher when machining thermoplastics.

Part complexity

 Aerospace engineering components are the most complex and challenging components to be machined- it is rocket science! These complex parts will need complex cutting tools. Various performance parameters like mass flow requirements of the engine govern the part design. The component manufacturer cannot change the designs or make trade-offs in shapes or tolerances to accommodate manufacturing constraints. Cutting tool manufacturers will have to work closely with the component manufacturers to remove their restrictions using in-depth analysis and design thinking.

An example to highlight the part complexity as shared by Mr. Scott Lewis, Sandvik Coromant

“With blisks, for example, trying to reach down in-between the blades usually means you’re extending your reach to the maximum overhang, or even beyond the maximum that we would typically recommend. However, special tooling options for long reach are available, such as heavy metal and carbide shanks.”

Cost per piece

The parts used in the aerospace engineering sector are made of exotic materials, undergo burdensome scrutiny, and are highly complex to make. Hence, the cost of each component is very high. Even a tiny mistake will lead to the rejection of the whole part, which is highly undesirable. Using high-quality cutting tools is almost the norm since the cost of scrap is detrimental. Cutting tools affect the surface quality and the accuracy and tolerance, hence cutting tool manufacturing has to be of superior quality.

Opportunities for cutting tool manufacturers in the aerospace engineering sector-

Solid carbide tooling

Mr. Lewis of Sandvik Coromant thinks that “one of the best ways to handle challenging components is with solid carbide tooling with a trochoidal technique. The benefits of solid carbide tooling include long reach (with a diameter-to-length ratio above 10 x D), more teeth in cut, and the ability to use more sophisticated tool paths, such as five-axis trochoidal techniques.”

Diamond-coated tools

Another fantastic opportunity for cutting tool manufacturers is to get into diamond-coated tools. A diamond-coated tool offers longevity, repeatability, and predictability. That means customers will know precisely how long the cutting tool will last, and they can predict their machine process based on that. With the materials like carbon fiber being used to build airplanes today, you need diamond-coated tools to cut it.

Multi-purpose tools

Aerospace component manufacturers are constantly looking for solutions to reduce their cost per component. One way of doing that is to produce tools that can perform multiple operations to reduce machining time itself. Two examples to best describe this are-

1. One-shot drilling is drilling that can cut and give the desired surface finish in the same operation. Such drills will reduce the machine tool’s time and reduce the chances of scrapping due to errors.
2. The latest rotary cutting tools are capable of drilling and milling, reaming, countersinking, tapping & trimming with the same cutting tool.

Regulation as an opportunity

Imagine you went through the time-consuming and challenging certification and inspection process and emerged victorious in the end and got approved by an aerospace component manufacturer. The exact procedure will put you in an advantageous position compared to your competitors since the customer will be unlikely to change the supplier frequently.

Another aspect of this point is that your customer will not change or be reluctant to change their process or material since they will have to undergo the same paperwork, certification, and approval process. Suppose they want to change a tool or any parameter in their operation. In that case, it might involve a lot of paperwork or a lengthy approval process and a destructive inspection of the part.

To conclude, the aerospace engineering industry can be a hard nut to crack for cutting tool manufacturers. However, they should have a strategic outlook towards this industry since it is inevitable that this industry will grow in the near future. Cutting tool manufacturers should think about investing in their production process and R&D to be ready for any disruption in the revenue stream, which is highly skewed towards the automotive industry. Transor India can help cutting tool manufacturers by providing best-in-class grinding oil filtration systems that will be necessary for making best-in-class cutting tools for this highly regulated industry.

If you are a cutting tool manufacturer who wants to make in-roads in the aerospace engineering industry, please contact us to understand how we may assist you.