A320neo becomes reality: Premium AEROTEC delivers first fuselage sections

Premium AEROTEC is Europe’s largest supplier of aerostructures and plays a significant role in all Airbus aircraft programmes. Premium AEROTEC is involved in the A320neo (New Engine Option), the further development of the Airbus A320 family, to the same extent that it was in the A320 programme. As of November 2013, 2,523 firm orders have so far been placed by 45 customers worldwide, making the A320neo of great importance for future business.

The rear fuselage (section 19) and the keel beam, the central component of the entire aerostructure, come from Augsburg, and the shell package for two further fuselage sections (15 and 17) come from Nordenham. In addition, floor beams, inner and outer wing trailing edges, inner flap tracks and hundreds of other individual parts are manufactured. In addition, the company manufactures control units that operate the vertical tail units and determine the flight direction. In total, over half of the rear fuselage of the A320neo is produced at Premium AEROTEC.

Although the fuselage design of the A320neo is identical with that of the A320, the load of all the components had to be recalculated and, where necessary, their structures reinforced because of the more efficient, but also larger and heavier engines of the A320neo. This development work was carried out by Premium AEROTEC.

Since summer 2011, a multi-disciplinary core team of Premium AEROTEC employees and subcontractors, with a total of around 35 members, have therefore been working on the components for the A320neo. The engineering drawings for the components that needed to be modified first were prepared according to schedule by the start of 2013 and sent to the manufacturing departments. Premium AEROTEC’s production of the A320neo components began in May 2013 with the production of the first skin plates in Nordenham.

With its know-how accumulated in more than 25 years, Premium AEROTEC is the most important aerostructures supplier for Airbus’ series programmes. Premium AEROTEC generated revenues of around 1.5 billion euros in 2012. The company’s core business lies in the development and production of metal and carbon fibre composite aircraft structures, as well as the associated equipment and production systems. The company has manufacturing sites in Augsburg, Bremen, Nordenham and Varel in Germany, as well as in Braşov in Romania.