FACC expands, installs new autoclaves

Due to steady growth in passenger volumes, more than 41,000 aircraft are needed by the year 2036, says FACC AG (Ried im Innkreis, Austria), which has started expanding to meet the anticipated demand.

“Today, we are investing into the future of tomorrow. Within the scope of a large-scale investment program we will spend up to 100 million Euro ($118.5 million USD) over the next three years,” says FACC CEO Robert Machtlinger. “This move is our response to the strong worldwide growth in aviation and will prepare us for new technologies and trends. Due to our innovative power we are the drivers of progress, not only in the field of lightweight construction. At the same time, our weight-saving products are a valuable contribution to global mobility, making aviation more lightweight, efficient and comfortable.”

The technology company has an order level of more than $5 billion USD, existing capacities will be fully stretched for the next seven years, new projects are in the pipeline, and customers confirm the gradual increase of production rates. Therefore, FACC is extending its capacities for the production of lightweight components for the aerospace industry and investing in new products, technologies, and processes, with the main focus being on the Upper Austrian locations Reichersberg and Ort im Innkreis.

Within the scope of its corporate strategy “Vision 2020,” FACC is aiming to achieve sales revenues of one billion Euro by fiscal year 2020/2021. Currently, the enterprise generates an annual turnover of more than 700 million Euro. Building an additional production area of 6,400 m², which started recently, is the first step of the strategic investment program. “On the one hand, the construction projects constitute a necessary advancement of the enterprise. On the other hand, they are another clear and strong Yes to Austria as an industrial location and another important contribution towards creating new quality jobs in the region,” adds Machtlinger.

The transport and placement of two new autoclaves presented logistic challenges. With a length of 19.9m and a diameter of 6.1m, one of these pressure vessels will be the largest operating at FACC to date. The autoclaves traveled the long distance from the German manufacturer Scholz (Coesfeld, Germany) to Upper Austria by boat. They were loaded onto a barge at the port of Lüdinghausen on November 13 and arrived in Aschach an der Donau on November 27. In Aschach, the autoclaves were transferred by Felbermayr onto two flatbed trailers to be carried by road on the last leg of the delivery to their final destinations in Reichersberg and Ort im Innkreis, respectively. The heavy-goods vehicles were 38.5m in length, 6.5m wide and had a weight of 232 tons. The tractor units used for transport are among the strongest in Europe, at more than 800 hp each. Several bridge structures along the route, which were not sufficiently dimensioned and approved for such weight, had to be reinforced beforehand. Numerous electricity and telephone lines had to be raised, and road signs, traffic lights, lamp posts and fences had to be removed.

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 is a supplier to all large aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Sukhoi, and COMAC, as well as for engine manufacturers and sub-suppliers of manufacturers. In the business year of 2016/17, FACC achieved a turnover of 705.7 million Euros. The company currently employs around 3,300 employees worldwide. facc.com.