Korean Air is establishing its footing in the advanced manufacturing area while withstanding the temptation to develop its operations. The company’s aerospace sector is specializing in producing particular aircraft parts at a lower cost, principally with carbon fiber. It concentrates on non-autoclave curing, fundamental carbon-fiber parts, and automation.
Korean Air makes components for aircraft such as Airbus’ A320 and A350, and Boeing’s 787 and 737. Manufacturing components for the 787 is its most notable project, with five contracts for parts for that aircraft. Not surprisingly, Korean Air extends its most sophisticated advanced production technologies in that schedule.
The company manufactures carbon-fiber composite skins with combined stringers for the 787’s aft fuselage. The surfaces are made by placing the stringers into a one-piece tool developed exclusively by Korean Air, then putting the surface on them with automatic fiber placement. Korean Air’s engineers implement an out-of-autoclave process to restoring composites used in the basic configuration of aircraft components such as the 787 aft fuselage. The company is also striving towards electronic parts assembly.
Diminishing or eliminating the use of autoclaves in carbon-fiber frame production without using autoclaves can initiate towards significant cost decreases—avoiding the need to purchase, operate, and control the massive and costly machines.
Korean Air also finds effectiveness in using its non-autoclave production process in making components that are similar to each other or are obtained from those it already presents. The company already makes doors, switch surfaces, stabilizers, wingtips, and rear fuselages—it makes wingtips, winglets, and tip extensions for the Boeing 737, 747, 777, 787 and Airbus A320 and A330. It also creates A350 cargo doors.
While the producer is considering producing parts that are separate from the ones it presently provides, its primary focus is on perfecting its current capabilities. Development doesn’t seem to be the company’s initial goal at all. While raising revenues is also important, their target is to obtain sustainability based on stationary profitability and innovative competitiveness.
In an industry where declining prices and stiff competition is the standard, the focus on cultivating its practices rather than seeking out more resources seems unconventional. But it also seems to perform to Korean Air’s strengths: Korean Air has formulated a place out for itself in the South Korean aerospace business by focusing on build-to-print agreements.
Korean Air Indulges in Advanced Manufacturing
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