The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner.
Did you know that one of the companies that helped to get it
off the ground is based in Austria? Tyrolean company Micado
worked together with the aircraft component manufacturer
FACC to develop a flexible universal holding device for the
manufacture of the flap track fairings. Automation technology
from Festo plays a key role in this.
Flap track fairings are structures that cover the landing flap
mechanisms on the underside of the A380 airliner. The new
universal holding device brings the carbon-fibre components
into the correct shape. This enables a multitude of differently
sized components to sit on a single device. With just a single
push of a button, 32 axes clamp 36 different flap track fair-
ings at 88 contact points. The clamping device is moved by
numerous cylinders from Festo. They are controlled by
the integrated valve terminal combination CPX/MPA, which
also processes all digital inputs of the cylinder sensors and
vacuum switches.
For Micado CEO Edwin Meindl, the cooperation with Festo was
a major advantage: “Cylinders, vacuum technology, valves,
the interfaces to control technology developed by Hella, the
corresponding CAD data and an international on-site service.”
Thanks to the excellent collaboration of everyone involved,
the project was completed in just nine months.
Flexibly covered
Functionally integrated automation for the Airbus A380
Pneumatics in the smallest of spaces:
Support and vacuum cylinders with
vacuum grippers on ball heads specially developed by Micado.
Flap track fairings
encase
mechanical components on the
underside of the wings of the A380.
Photo: Micado/Martin Lugger
Austria
2.2012
trends in automation
Festo worldwide
40
–
41