Winglets rank among the aircraft components with which FACC has succeeded in earning an excellent reputation worldwide. On February 14, the company presented local technical college HTL Ried with a special winglet as a showpiece. It was finished by HTL students during the course of their lightweight technology training.
"This winglet is a visible result of our longstanding constructive partnership with HTL Ried technical college. In this project, we gave students the opportunity to work practically on a real product in accordance with international aviation regulations. We feel it is important to give the specialists of tomorrow insights into our exciting working world during their school education," says a delighted Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC. For Wolfgang Billinger, Director of HTL Ried, the winglet has a symbolic meaning: "On the one hand, it stands for the exemplary collaboration with our reliable partner FACC. On the other, it visualizes the lightweight construction that is becoming increasingly important, both in the economy and at our college."
Focus on surface finish
As part of their practical experience in lightweight technology, FACC provided students from HTL Ried with an almost completely assembled winglet. A winglet is the bent-up extension to the wing. It reduces the development of air vortices at the wingtips. This significantly reduces the aerodynamic drag of the whole aircraft – with the positive effects of lower fuel consumption, greater stability, and better flight characteristics. The HTL students focused mainly on surface treatment of the winglet in their work at FACC. With painstaking attention to detail and a great deal of patience, they exposed the carbon structure of the upper surface. They polished all the aluminum surfaces of the leading edges and the wingtip to achieve a high-gloss finish. They prepared the lower surface of the winglet for painting. Following completion of final assembly work by the students, FACC specialists carried out the painting. To ensure that the winglet would be an effective showpiece at HTL Ried, the students also designed and manufactured a mounting device in their apprentice workshops.
Insight into the fascination of lightweight technology
In the lightweight technology workshop module, the basic principles of processing fiber-composite materials have been taught to year-1 HTL students at FACC for many years now. The aim of this module is to become acquainted with these up-and-coming materials. "It's a great pleasure to work with motivated students. Over a period of four weeks, they spend every Friday here with us and they can gain interesting insights into our company," explains Gazmend Braha, who supervises the HTL students. One fixed part of the training program is production of a wall clock from carbon. The operations extend from manufacturing the individual components from the raw material through to final assembly of the clock. Since the materials used are very fragile, the students learn how to perform all tasks with the greatest of care.
Practical, future-oriented training
The economic development of an up-and-coming region is reflected in the HTL Ried technical college and the courses it offers. To ensure that the training is as practically oriented as possible, the college works together with innovative partner companies from the Innviertel region, including FACC. Students benefit from excellent links with factories and research facilities in the fields of mechanical engineering, aviation, automotive engineering, as well as materials and process development. With an apprenticeship at HTL Ried, young technophiles acquire a valuable basis for a professional career in future-oriented industries.
About FACC
FACC AG is one of the world's leading companies in the design, development, and production of advanced, fiber-reinforced composite components and systems for the aviation industry. Their range of products extends from structural components for the fuselage and wings to engine components and complete passenger cabins for commercial aircraft, business jets, and helicopters. FACC produces parts for all the major aircraft manufacturers, such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Sukhoi, and COMAC, as well as for engine manufacturers and subcontractors to the aircraft manufacturers.
In the 2015/16 financial year, FACC achieved annual sales of 587.5 million euros. The company employs a workforce of more than 3,000 employees in Austria. Further information can be found at www.facc.com.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Anja Bichlbauer
Project Manager Communications
Fischerstrasse 9
4910 Ried im Innkreis, Austria
Phone: +43 59 616-1137
E-mail: a.bichlbauer@facc.com