Assembly lines for the new A350 XWB: Bilfinger Berger wins further Airbus order
December 13, 2010
December 13, 2010
Assembly lines for the new A350 XWB: Bilfinger Berger wins further Airbus order
As part of a consortium, Bilfinger Berger will build assembly lines for the structural and technical assembly of aircraft for the EADS Group, the sixth consecutive order of its kind received by the company. The current order comprises the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of assembly lines for the Airbus A 350 XWB and has a volume of about €150 million, with Bilfinger Berger accounting for about €75 million. The first stage of the project is scheduled for completion in mid 2011. Airbus also agreed an option with the consortium (Areva, ECA-CNAI und Bilfinger Berger) that would expand the order to €200 million.
The installation of the assembly lines is currently being carried out at the Hamburg, Nordenham and Saint-Nazaire locations. There, systems for the automated positioning of components and the corresponding work platforms are being supplied. With the help of such systems, individual parts are brought together to form entire sections of the aircraft fuselage. Extreme precision is required not only in the construction and manufacturing, but also in the joining of the up to 18-meter long components. In addition, work must be coordinated in a number of different countries and the assembly lines must be carefully synchronized at the three Airbus locations.
Since 2002, numerous projects for a variety of Airbus models have been carried out, including assembly plants for the equipping of the Airbus A 380. Similar structural and equipment assembly plants for the A 320, A 330/340 as well as the Eurofighter have also been delivered on a turnkey basis. Bilfinger Berger’s activities in the area of steel construction include highly specialized services to the aerospace and automotive industries as well as the construction of bridges and structures in hydraulic engineering.
Images are available for download at www.medialibrary.bilfinger.de (PIN code: VLA1M).
