2010-07 - Simrit Insight - Aerospace

ApplicationsApplicationsEnvironmental and aerodynamicairframe componentsHighly specialized Plate Sealsfor aerospace enginesSealing and vibrationcontrol components forlanding gear, wheeland brake systemsSolutions for flight control systemsSuperior standardsfor a soaring industrySealing and vibration-controlcomponents for actuation andfuel systemsEvery components manufacturer must comply with important material standards in the AerospaceIndustry. With its unique developments like the perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) material Simriz 498,Simrit on boardSimrit provides true differentiation that puts it in a class of its own.Aerospace manufacturers face theconstant challenge of reducing weightand costs to further improve the overallefficiency of the aircraft. To accomplishthis, the Aerospace Industry relies heavilyon components manufacturers. Since anaircraft‘s safety often depends on rathersmall parts, and in particular on thequality of sealing and vibration controlcomponents, they must comply withstrict quality requirements defined bymany different standards.Standard-compliant materialsAerospace materials specifications areextensive, whether AMS in the U.S.,NFL in France or WS specifications inGermany. Compliance with the respectiveJet engines provideunique sealing challengesdue to high pressuresand temperatures.regulations is only the first step inachieving approval as a supplier. Evenif the components fulfill the requirementsand are suitable for use, this does notmean that they are good enough forSimrit customers. These must, after all,comply with the highest customer standardsand provide top performancewhile helping achieve the lowest possiblefuel consumption. To attain this, severalstrengths must be combined. Along withvast experience in the development ofmaterials suitable to the highest demands(even in aggressive environments) anddesign innovation, the team must havetimely on-site support for aerospacecustomers and an extraordinary logisticsorganization.Simrit offers all of these. Three productionplants in North America are ASEN 9100-and NADCAP-certified. In Europe,Simrit‘s Aerospace Centre has manycustomer-specific approvals (e.g.,Eurocopter, Rolls-Royce, Safran Group)as well as ASEN 9120-certification.Additionally, the sealing and vibrationcontrol specialist just received NFLcertification for a total of seven differentelastomers in France. Thus Simritcustomers have a wide range ofapproved materials available.Components for all partsAdditionally, a wide range of designsfor aerospace sealing elements is availableto cover a broad variety of aircraftcomponents. These elements includeradial shaft seals and O-rings for use inengines and braking systems, as well ashydraulic seals for flight control andspecial aerodynamic seals and cabindoor and window seals. Simrit alsosupplies highly specialized plate sealsfor particularly demanding engine andfuel systems. Simrit components alsocontribute greatly to fire protection inthe aircraft, including fireproof andheat-resistant sealing that reliablyshields electrical connections and isused in fire protection walls.Unique FFKMSimriz 498 is an innovative FFKMmaterial, consisting of a patentedtriazine grid with modified polymerstructure. This unique combination leadsto chemical resistance as well as optimalheat stability. On a customer’s request,a comparison test was performed withdifferent competitors’ materials, representingthe customer’s usage scenarioregarding time, temperature and fluids.The results showed that the outstandingtemperature resistance of Simriz 498exceeds the industry standard by far.Additionally, the material proved itsextraordinary tolerance toward higherpressures with lower metal corrosionand a greater chemical resistance thanany other FFKM material.Where compression set is concerned,Simriz 498 also proved to be superior tothe competitors’ materials. Simrit’s FFKMseals showed much fewer sealing breaksunder long-term load, and the corrosionof interlocking components was muchThe Simrit components used in largemodern aircraft are listed in the3D-illustration in Simrit‘s “IndustrySolutions for Aerospace“ brochure,which is available in English andFrench. The brochure explains certifiedsealing components for the safety andefficiency of modern aircraft technologyas well as the importance of a strongpartnership between aerospacemanufacturers and sealing specialists.You can receive the brochure free ofcharge by contacting Karen Swattonat karen.swatton@simrit.com.lower than for the competitors’ seals.Simrit’s materials database continues togrow. Simrit’s proprietary materialsdatabase currently includes almost 2000different compounds. Raw materialsmixing plants in Europe, America andAsia and world-class research anddevelopment centers guarantee that thedatabase continues to grow for thegood of Aerospace Industry customers.03 Simrit insight Aerospace Special Simrit insight Aerospace Special 04

ProductsSuccess StorySimrit expands silicone tape line600 operating hours without serviceSimrit‘s high-temperature self-fusing silicone tape has proven itself forweather resistance where excellent dielectric strength is required. It hasexcellent ozone/UV resistance, high and low temperature (–55˚C up to+260˚C) stability, and moisture resistance. It is now available as asinusoidal fiberglass-reinforced tape which controls amount of stretchfor consistent thickness and hence dielectrics, and also offers greatlyimproved tear and abrasion resistance. The tape is produced fromspecially formulated silicone rubber that starts to tack within seconds,and permanently fuses to itself within 24 hours. The fused tape becomesan impermeable barrier against contaminating fluid and environmentalingress. The tape has no adhesive, which makes for clean installationand re-entry. A special fluorosilicone self-fusing tape is available wheredirect fuel and harsh chemical contact can occur. Additionally, Simrithas developed flame-retardant materials that offer the addedadvantage of being self-extinguishing in case of fire. Andbeyond this, Simrit has recently introduced a version thatis compliant as Fire-Resistant and Fireproof(5 mins/15 mins resp.) to ISO 2685/AC20-135.Typical uses include applications requiringprotection from environmental effects (UV/Ozone, etc.),fluid splash, chafing, dielectric, high and low temperatures, and flame andfire. These tapes also perform well for supporting/sealing hot and cold airducting, wire harness wrapping and wire bundling.Simrit‘s high-temperature self-fusingsilicone tape is produced from speciallyformulated silicone rubber that starts totack within seconds.Lower fuel consumption and much longer service intervals are the most important drives inthe development of Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH piston aircraft engines for small planes.These targets require comprehensive quality for all components, particularly regardingsealing and vibration control.An aircraft motor must offer maximumpower output at a good power/weightratio. At the same time, the motorshould have low fuel consumption.With its CENTURION ® brand kerosenepiston aircraft engines, Thielert AircraftEngines complies with these highrequirements more closely than anyother manufacturer of small aircraftengines. The CENTURION ® enginesconsume approximately 40 percent lesskerosene than typical engines of thisclass and thus expand the range of theplanes by up to 30 percent. The serviceinterval targets are set high as well: theengine can run for 600 operating hourswithout needing maintenance.Design for double advantageTo achieve these goals, Thielert fullyrelies on Simrit in the area of sealingand vibration control. An innovativesolution for uncoupling the connectionbetween gear and control block withintegrated oil feed-through has justentered production. “The design wasa true challenge: On the one hand,sufficient resistance to the applied andpartially pulsating oil pressure had tobe achieved, and, on the other hand,the vibration-damping features were tobe retained,” said Erik Bollen, Head ofResearch & Development at Thielert.The result of this development is a vibration-controlcomponent in the shape of acustomer-specific, multi-layered spring.“The whole project with Simrit wascompleted in a very timely fashion.Only five months passed between thefirst request to the initial sample testreport. Another six weeks later, productionbegan,” Bollen remarked. In true industrystyle, the project was virtually completedat jet speed.For additional information contact Tim Lomax at tim.lomax@simrit.usMetal seals cantake the heatCenturion 2.0s engine in aCessna 172 at service after600 hours.In briefThe metal seal product line includes sealswhich are ideal for jet engines, rocketengines, and gas and steam turbines.For additional information contactTim Lomax at tim.lomax@simrit.usElastomeric seals are a staple in sealing technology buthave limitations when it comes to extremes in heat,pressure, and chemical resistance. To address theseissues, Simrit now offers a complete line of metal sealswhich will handle the most extreme sealing applications.Simrit‘s partner company, EKK Eagle Industry Co. Ltd,has supplied metal seals in the Asian market for overten years. This successful history is now being extendedto our customers in Europe and the Americas.The metal seal product line includes static, radial, andmechanical face seals which are ideal for jet engines,rocket engines and gas and steam turbines.Metal bellows, formed cases, and welded assembliesare also available for use in satellites and spacestations. These metal seals are well-suited to seal LOX,LH2, GHe, and hot gas applications where elastomericseals would not survive.Development objective: aplane engine with an extraordinaryservice life and lowmaintenance requirementsSimrit supplies Thielert witha sealing catalog product anda customer-specific vibrationcontrolproduct based on astandard multi-layered springDevelopment took onlyhalf a yearFor additional informationcontact Tino Schmidt attino.schmidt@simrit.de05 Simrit insight Aerospace SpecialSimrit insight Aerospace Special 06

Success StorySuccess Story“Highest safety in orbit“Sealing components for fuel transport containers generally require high-quality materials.The framework conditions for such containers—a membrane reservoir made of white EPDM—in satellite drive units, however, set even higher standards.Germany’s capital, Berlin, hasrecently acquired a new landmark:on Saturday, May 29,2010, Astrium unveiled a 12-meter mock-up of an Ariane 5on the city’s centrally locatedPotsdamer Platz.In briefRequirement: white EPDMwith extreme mediaresistance against hydrazineSeveral customer-specificspace flight components weremade from this elastomerAll components must bemanufactured underclean-room conditionsAstrium and Simrit have beenpartners for almost 20 yearsFor additional informationcontact Thomas Lyssewski atthomas.lyssewski@simrit.deOnce outside of the planet’s atmosphereand in orbit, satellites do not requiredrive units for motion. The carrier rocketgives them the thrust needed for theirrespective courses, and there is no airresistance to slow them down. However,since they are subject to small but constantinterference impacts, like solar pressure,satellites are equipped with a drive unit.Therefore, the drive unit of a satellite hasthe challenge of keeping the positionand alignment of the satellite accurate,correcting the courses or changing thesatellite‘s rotational position to realignthe on-board camera, solar collectorsor antennae.White EPDM for fuel containerThe satellites produced by EADS subsidiaryAstrium have small rocket drives witha thrust between 1 Newton and 400Newton. The nitrogen compound hydrazineis used as a fuel, as is usual forrocket drives. Since hydrazine reacts withall carbon types, the material selectionfor fuel transport containers must bemade carefully to avoid hazardousreactions. Manufacturers like Astriumrequire a service life of ten years. Withthe extreme requirements of the fueltransport container, the Astriumengineers turn to a sealing specialistlike Simrit, which can offer globallyunique materials expertise. Astriumrequired an EPDM material withreduced peroxide content (white EPDM)to ensure elastomer resistance to thehydrazine for at least ten years.Clean-room conditionsfor productionCurrently, Simrit is producing severalcustomized white EPDM parts for Astrium:the membrane reservoir (bladder),O-rings for plug connections, and thebursting disk used as an over-pressureprotection valve. The membrane reservoir‘sproduction requires particulareffort. This elastomer container, which isagain enclosed by a stainless steelcontainer, is vulcanized from two parts.Manufacturing of both the elastomermixture and the membrane reservoirrequire clean-room conditions. “Weplace our full trust in Simrit’s materialexpertise for the manufacturing of thematerial used and have receivedcomponents that completely satisfy ourneeds,“ said Harald Lüth, PurchaseManager EADS Astrium.Sealing components in useAstrium and Simrit have enjoyed avalued partnership for almost twentyyears. “Without close cooperationbased on mutual trust, completing sucha demanding project as the whiteAbout AstriumEPDM membrane reservoir successfullywould not have been possible,“ Lüthsaid. Since the first collaboration,Ariane 5 carrier rockets have visited theearth’s orbit 50 times. They will be usedagain in the VEGA rocket in 2011/2012.Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defense space systems and services with employees inFrance, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation forlaunchers and orbital infrastructure; Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment; and Astrium Services for the development andprovision of secure and commercial satcoms and networks, high-security satellite communications equipment, geo-information products andservices, and navigation services. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defense, and related services.The VEGA system is the new Europeancarrier rocket for small payloads, thefourth stage of which is developed byAstrium Space Transportation.07 Simrit insight Aerospace SpecialSimrit insight Aerospace Special 08

InterviewInterview”Being certified ‘SupplierGold’ brings credibility“Interview with Sam Abdelmalek, Vice President of Supply Management,Pratt & Whitney Canada, about Simrit earning United Technologies Corp.Supplier Gold Award.Simrit Insight: How is Supplier Goldstructured with in United TechnologiesCorporation (UTC)?Sam Abdelmalek: We have a forumcalled the Supply Management Council,which has members from UTC corporateas well as all VPs of Supply Managementand Directors of Operation from differentUTC divisions. The divisions submit theircandidates for the award and the Councilvotes on these companies. They arethen either approved or given “homework”on areas to improve. It is importantto note that common metrics areused to nominate suppliers and suppliershave to be at the Gold level for allUTC divisions they supply before beingconsidered for the award.In briefSupplier Gold is a way torecognize those suppliers thatare already performing welland to inspire those that needto make improvementsFour criteria are used toevaluate suppliers for thisaward: Quality, Delivery,Lean Assessment, and MarketFeed back AnalysisSimrit´s Tillsonburg facility is theonly elastomer seal manufacturinglocation at Supplier Gold levelfor Pratt & Whitney CanadaFor additional informationcontact Vinay Nilkanth atvinay.nilkanth@simrit.usWhen and why was it started?At UTC everything we do starts andends with the customer in mind. TheSupplier Gold program started in early2007 in order to improve our supplybase performance because UTC cannotimprove in the marketplace without itssupply base being engaged in a jointdrive for excellence.UTC is committed to Achieving CompetitiveExcellence (ACE). ACE is ourproprietary operating system to ensureworld-class quality in our products andprocesses. With its focus on increasingefficiency and reducing waste, ACE isintegral to our company’s performancemodel. Facilities worldwide are using theoperating system to improve quality andcustomer satisfaction while loweringoverall cost.What are the goals of Supplier Gold?Supplier Gold is a way to recog nizethose suppliers that are already performingwell and to inspire those thatneed to make improvements. Theprogram aims to get our suppliers toperform to standardized commonmetrics across UTC. The goal is thatultimately, by 2011, all our key supplierswill be at the Performing or Gold leveland we will achieve a synchronizationof all suppliers.When all suppliers attain the same highlevel of performance, we can delightour customers more and bring morevalue to our shareholders.What business impact are you seeingas a result of Supplier Gold initiatives?Since the program was only initiatedtwo years ago, the full impact has yet toSam Abdelmalek,Vice Presidentof SupplyManagement,Pratt & WhitneyCanadabe seen, but Supplier Gold gainedsignificant momentum in 2009. For onething, the program initiatives areimproving our relationship with oursuppliers. In addition, our suppliershave a clear sense of what they haveto do in order to respond to UTC’squality standards.How many companies are certified andhow many of those are seal suppliers?By July 2009 49 UTC suppliers werecertified, 14 of which supply to Pratt &Whitney Canada (P&WC). Of all 49suppliers, three are seal suppliers.Simrit´s Tillsonburg facility is the onlyelastomer seal manu facturing locationat Supplier Gold level for P&WC.Please elaborate on the four criteria forSupplier Gold, and why are those themost important ones?The four criteria that are used to evaluatesuppliers for this award are:• Quality: best-in-class quality withzero escapes for the last 12 months• Delivery: 100 percent on-timeproduct delivery• Lean Assessment: use of lean practicesto sustain performance• Market Feedback Analysis: excellentcustomer service at competitive pricing.Suppliers need to have sustainingprocesses in place and must meet theabove criteria for at least 12 consecutivemonths before being awarded theGold status. Sustaining processes isimportant since this ensures that thecriteria can be met as a normal partof doing business, not just throughextraordinary steps like carrying extrainventory or adding extra inspection.How do you prioritize which compa niesyou will sponsor for Supplier Gold?How did you pick Simrit?As we in UTC were making goodprogress in our ACE journey, it was anatural evolution to introduce the SupplierGold program. We were pleasantlysurprised to find out that Simrit has asimilar initiative—the GROWTTH*(Getting Rid of Waste Through TeamHarmony) program. At first, we were notaware that Simrit was already living ata level to which we want our suppliers toperform with regard to lean systems andcontinuous improvement. This made theSupplier Gold certification a natural fit.We select suppliers based on threecriteria: large-spend suppliers, criticalsuppliers, and preferred suppliers. Simritis currently a preferred supplier and theTillsonburg location already had a veryhigh level of performance even before the12-month period. The Tillsonburg facilitywas fast-tracked through the SupplierGold approval process, having met mostof the supplier goals and requirements asa result of their normal operating methods.From UTC’s standpoint, what is themain benefit that you see in having astandardized supplier program acrossUTC corporation?The Supplier Gold program is a simpleyet very beneficial program. One UTCdivision selects a supplier, but all divisionsend up benefiting, and all have thesame expectations of that supplier. Theprogram allows all divisions to speakthe same language and use commonmetrics for supplier evaluation. Additionally,the Supplier Gold program is acorporate objective, not only a supplychain objective, with the goal of theentire UTC company becoming a morelean and agile organization. Being acorporate-wide program with resourcesdedicated to it by UTC, it is a strategicallyimportant program for us.As a result of Supplier Gold, do youanticipate any business gains orcompetitive advantage as you goout into the market?UTC’s and P&WC’s highest goals areto provide exceptional value to ourcustomers, exceed their expectations,and increase shareholder value in theprocess. Even in these difficult times, wesee the Supplier Gold program beingan integral part of UTC’s plan to emergeeven stronger and allow acceleratedgrowth built on a firm foundation in oursupply base.For a company like Simrit, that isdiversified into multiple markets, howdo we position ourselves with ourmultiple production sites to best supportthis program?Simrit should make sure that all itsproduction sites reach Supplier Goldlevel. This will increase Simrit´s visibilityacross all UTC divisions. Being certifiedSupplier Gold brings credibility withinUTC as well as within the marketplace.In that respect, Supplier Gold helpscreate opportunities and other UTCbusinesses will pay more attention tocompanies that are certified.Where do you see this programleading over the next three years?Over the next three years, we willcontinue to set the bar higher forperfor mance and we want to multiplythe num ber of suppliers who arecertified “Gold.” UTC’s target is to have70 percent of our suppliers performingat Gold by the end of 2011. TheSupplier Gold program is a verycritical program for us and will allowus and our suppliers to emerge evenstronger in the marketplace.The PW150A turboprop was speciallydesigned for the Bombardier Q400regional airliner, which has become aglobal leader since entering service in2000. The PW150A is the largestmember of the successful PW100family, powering aircraft in more than100 countries with over 100 millionoperating hours to its credit.*G r o w t t h ® is Simrit’s company-wide continuous improvement program. Emphasizing teamwork and communications, Growtthworks toward increasing efficiencies in the use of time, labor, materials, and space, using a variety of disciplines and tools.09 Simrit insight Aerospace SpecialSimrit insight Aerospace Special 10

AerospaceFreudenberg GroupReady for take offDependable sealing technology for the Aerospace IndustryIn aerospace, extreme thermalranges, pressure, ozone aswell as UV effects place greatdemands on sealing components.Simrit offers you a uniqueproduct range developed forthese conditions from materialsapproved for air and spacetravel. These products areoffered for all essential aircraftsystems including airframes,control and undercarriagesystems and engines, all custommade to meet your needs.Would you like moreinformation? Contact us:Phone Europe +44 (0) 1455 204 444Phone Americas +1 (866) 274 67 48Phone China +86 (21) 50 36 69 00