BEAVERCREEK, OH—Northrop Grumman Corp. has opened a new addition to its assembly plant here and reaffirmed its intent to add manufacturing jobs at the site.
If it rolls, floats or flies, lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in a variety of industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.
HUNTSVILLE, AL—GE Aviation is expected to begin production later this year at a new factory here to mass-produce certain lightweight, heat-resistant materials for parts designed to enhance jet engine performance and fuel economy, according to the company.
As aerospace engineers attempt to create products that can fly faster, higher and more efficiently, new types of materials are essential. Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) hold tremendous promise. However, they can be difficult to join.
As automakers and suppliers search for new ways to reduce vehicle weight, some engineers are experimenting with natural fibers. Bamboo, cotton, hemp, jute, kenaf, rice and other crops can be used to produce high-strength composite structures for automotive applications.
Plastics and polymer composites are essential to a wide range of safety and performance parts in cars today. In fact, the use of plastic and polymer composites in light vehicles has increased from less than 20 pounds per vehicle in 1960 to 334 pounds per car in 2015.
WICHITA, KS—Spirit AeroSystems is spending $20 million to expand its manufacturing facility here, which makes composite subassemblies for the Boeing 787.
EVERETT, WA—Boeing’s 777X Composite Wing Center here marks a significant step toward a future in which much of an aircraft assembly plant’s work is done by automated machines and robots.