Core Competence
The Varel plant specialises in the metal cutting machining of aircraft parts and the development and design of production tools. Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and powerful information processing systems are employed to achieve an optimised degree of automation on the production lines. The plant is equipped to process all types of highly loaded, integral structural parts milled in aluminium, titanium and steel.

Manufacture of parts
One particularly demanding activity conducted at the Varel parts manufacturing facility is the 5-axis high-performance cutting (HPC) of milled aluminium integral components. In this high-performance environment, fuselage frames measuring up to seven metres in length are milled in aluminium. As part of the same manufacturing network, the Premium AEROTEC plant in Augsburg is equipped with equally sophisticated high-performance milling machines, used for instance to produce titanium components for the central fuselage section of the Eurofighter. The Varel plant manufactures cut-metal parts (air intake shells and ducts) for the Eurofighter. The first metal cut for the first major airframe component, marking the start of production of the A400M military transport plane, took place during a special ceremony in Varel on 26 January 2005.

The manufacture of production tools in Varel dates back over 60 years. Today, the plant manufactures production tools for all aircraft programs and all process stages involved in aircraft construction: from moulds for carbon fibre composites (fibre lay-up and hardening tools for CFC components) to assembly lines and test rigs and even air transport equipment. Automation and flexibility combined with strict adherence to the highest production standards ensure precise and highly efficient results when manufacturing low-volume parts.

The Varel engineers have considerable experience in the construction of models for high-speed and low-speed wind tunnel testing. The models they build in different takeoff and landing configurations (e.g. position of the wing flaps) are used to test aerodynamic behaviour during different flight phases, in the wind tunnel.