<a href="https://www.lufthansa-technik.com/" target="_blank">Lufthansa Technik AG</a> (LHT) is a provider of MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services for aircraft and has 50 locations worldwide. LHT is wholly owned by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and comprises 32 technical maintenance companies and subsidiaries in Europe, Asia and America, along with more than 26,000 employees (as of 2019).LHT is based at Hamburg Airport. Other important German locations are the two Lufthansa hubs Frankfurt Rhein-Main and Munich as well as the Berlin Tegel Airport (Line Maintenance) and Schönefeld (C-Checks).<h2>Control of Material Expansion</h2>The ARC® – Airframe Related Components division overhauls and repairs fan reversers, engine cowlings, flight controls, aircraft noses (radomes), and other secondary structure composite components. In addition to maintenance work, repair, developments, all types of material support, and logistics solutions are provided. These services are offered for civil aircraft and nearly all popular aircraft types.To repair the above-mentioned components, adhesive trays made of carbon or glass fiber are used. Shapes and contours must be checked regularly. The production process takes place under the influence of pressure and temperature variations in an autoclave, so that the material can expand. The extent of the expansion is determined by periodic scans. It is not a one-off project—but a regular measure to ensure quality standards.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1596624604449-Radome-Screenshot-1-1024x602.png">Screenshots of a scanned aircraft nose&nbsp;The actual state is checked with Creaform’s HandySCAN 3D scanner or, for large objects, with the photogrammetry camera MaxSHOT 3D and compared with a CAD model (target state). On the software side, the data acquisition software, VXelements, is used for data acquisition. On top of providing reliable measurements, Creaform systems are used for other applications, such as reverse engineering, with the help of VXmodel scan-to-CAD software module.<h2>Decision Criteria and ROI</h2>Before LHT started using Creaform systems, measurements, data processing and reverse engineering were provided by a third-party company. The quality of the data as well as the duration of implementation and flexibility in changing conditions led to the decision to purchase hardware and software, thereby building the company’s internal know-how.Decisive for the choice of the measuring systems were the compactness of the devices as well as the simple data acquisition with the HandySCAN 3D scanner. With these key features, it is possible to capture complex geometries with relatively little effort. In addition, the accuracy for the intended applications is sufficiently high. The MaxSHOT 3D helps to ensure unprecedented accuracy even for larger objects. Currently, the measurement systems are used exclusively in a workshop environment under (mostly) controlled, climatic conditions.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1596624652447-maxshot3d-creaform-portable-device_1471.jpg">Photogrammetry camera MaxSHOT 3D measures large objects with high accuracy&nbsp;“The control of the material expansion could have been measured with other common measuring systems, but the price-performance ratio and the compactness of the 3D <a href="https://www.creaform3d.com/en/metrology-solutions/creaform-product-overview" target="_blank">measuring systems</a> from Creaform made the decision easy. In addition, the customer service is impeccable,” explained Gunnar Hinrichs, who works at the Airframe Related Components Department at LHT. “In terms of ROI, the purchase has also paid off, even if we do not yet have any meaningful data. But it is likely, according to our own estimate, to have a give-figure amount in the lower segment, which we save on outsourcing. If we detect quality deviations at an early stage by using the Creaform technology, we can prevent unnecessary costs and therefore expensive reworking at the customers’ sites.”&nbsp;<h2>Compact, Simple and Flexible</h2>The experience with the Creaform systems is positive. “We can respond much faster and more flexibly to measurement tasks, discuss the measurement results directly at the measured component, and share information with other stakeholders. The systems consistently convince us we made the right decision with their compactness and simplicity of use. A measurement process, including pre- and post-processing (assembly, attachment of the targets, etc.), is completed within 2-3 hours. The data is available in real time. The software interface is well-implemented, understandable and clear. The training provided by Creaform is outstanding and the employees are always available for advice and support. That’s the way you want it to be,” said Hinrichs.

Lufthansa Technik AG (LHT) is a provider of MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services for aircraft and has 50 locations worldwide

Quality Control Of Composites In The Aerospace Industry

The footage is showing a glimpse into the future of space travel technology has been recorded by scientists in the UK.Specialist cameras have filmed close-up footage of a rocket firing up using deep sea protective cases and shielding to protect the cameras from destruction.Scientists at <a href="https://pulsarfusion.com/" target="_blank">Pulsar Fusion</a> based in Bletchley captured the 4k footage facing into the nozzle of a hyper-fast rocket engine, which is designed for use in deep space.<img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk0MzEyNDI5NjA1LVB1bHNhci1GdXNpb24tMjMwNDk1Ny5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;">In the video, viewers can see a ring of plasma at the core burning at millions of degrees – hotter than any gas on Earth and confined by an electromagnetic field which is firing out particles at speeds of over 20km a second.The fuel heavy, fiery exhausts of today’s space rockets will eventually be replaced by super-hot, plasma thrusters as seen in the video.This type of thruster is not suitable for launching spacecraft but becomes effective once the craft has left the atmosphere.<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EFG3zuVQEVc?&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;wmode=opaque" style="width: 788px; height: 450px;"></iframe>Pulsar thrusters are able to operate at speeds far greater than conventional combustion rockets, so these could provide the key to reducing mission times and costs to far-off planets currently out of our reach.Following this milestone, the privately owned UK business now plans to test the technology in space.Dr James Lambert, head of operations at Pulsar Fusion said “Pulsar has earned its place as one of the most advanced, privately owned space propulsion companies in the World. We are delighted with the result.<img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk0MzEyNDU4MDMxLVNwYWNlLXRyYXZlbC1QdWxzYXItRnVzaW9uLVJpY2hhcmQtRGluYW4tMjMyMjMwNi5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;"><a href="https://pulsarfusion.com/" target="_blank">Pulsar Fusion</a> CEO Richard Dinan said “Pulsar will now commence testing of this technology in real world conditions with our partners in the USA, whilst simultaneously beginning construction of our larger, next generation device due for completion in 2022.“This project aims to operate a plasma firing at temperatures of several hundred million degrees and will involve advanced materials currently being developed alongside government fusion reactors.”<img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk0MzEyNTYxMTU2LXB1bHNhci1mdXNpb24tNS5qcGciLCAiZWRpdHMiOiB7InJlc2l6ZSI6IHsid2lkdGgiOiA5NTAsICJmaXQiOiAiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;">Pulsar Fusion specialises in developing Nuclear Fusion technology for use as propulsion. Whilst governments plan to demonstrate the world’s first nuclear fusion reactor (ITER) in 2025, Pulsar Fusion, a nimble start up in the UK, aims to have demonstrated nuclear fusion rocket engines in space before fusion technology is harnessed for grid power supply on Earth.Fusion rocket engines are useful technology using nuclear fusion technology today, whilst fusion for energy may still be several decades away due extensive additional technological requirements and the multi-national and typically highly bureaucratic power station timescales.&nbsp;<img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNTk0MzEyNjI3MTk3LXB1bHNhci1mdXNpb24tbWlkZGxlXzAuanBnIiwgImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogOTUwLCAiZml0IjogImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;">Fusion rockets do not require large steam turbines and much of the expensive equipment necessary for a power station build project that can take many years to finance and construct.However, by 2100, world governments predict nuclear fusion will be the dominant power supply of our planet, replacing nuclear fission.Nuclear Fusion rocket technology has the ability to half mission times to Mars and could open up the possibility of visiting planets outside of our solar system.

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Quality Control Of Composites In The Aerospace Industry

Footage captures nuclear reaction that unlocks deep space travel