24 April 2020: Airbus has opened a new Manufacturing Milling Centre (MMC) for the production of wing corner fittings and special parts production for structural assembly. The new centre is located in Hamburg at its Finkenwerder site in a surface area of 1,100 square metres and is brighter, ergonomic and more interconnected than the previous facility.
Some of the major highlights of the new centre are:
- It has new system technology for the transfer of data for on-demand production which is now all-digital.
- This works both interactively and visually, such that the staff in the Final Assembly Line (FAL) can see the real-time situation in the MCC and vice versa.
- The optimised workflow ensures rapid transit between completion, collection of the fittings and their installation at the FAL.
- Quality inspections, which were previously performed manually, are now automated thanks to two robot-assisted measuring units employing 3D scanners.
- Two overhead cranes which allow the set-up of two milling machines at the same time further contribute to the production efficiency
- The new location also improves the working conditions for the specially qualified employees, with large windows for more light and fresh air.