Metal replacement: New bracket reduces costs and improves quality

摘要

By using the carbon fibre-reinforced high-performance Victrex PEEK 90HMF40 polymer instead of the aluminium previously used, Airbus Helicopters has successfully manufactured an equivalent component that provides a range of benefits, in addition to reducing weight and production costs by 40 percent. These include joining the PEEK component, instead of an aluminium component, to a thermoset, resulting in making drilling much easier, as well as optimised carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) drills that have improved the quality of the holes compared with the previous solution.