Airbus - A320/A330/A340 (2)

The introduction of the A330 and A340 Spars required not only significant Capital Investment but substantial factory layout changes.

A strong package of Stringers for both types was secured but orders for the hoped for 14 Spars per Aircraft Set did not materialise. However, the Chadderton Spar Cell did secure the difficult and complex Inner Rear Spar and Butt-Strap components which maximised on the unique skills and Plant of the Chadderton Factory.

The 3 Tonnes deep pocketed Inner Rear Spar was to be machined from an enormous drop forging created on a 300 Tonnes pressure Russian built machine by a French Company.

After the initial profiling operations, uncharted levels of distortion were seen. Chadderton did not have a machine capable of producing this component.

The Chadderton Airbus Team therefore devised an alternative technique, they lifted the Gantry of the allocated ex-Stringer producing machine (MET14) by 6 inches and fitted more powerful 501T Spindles and successfully began producing components one per load.

(Colour Photographs - Top Right & Left)
The forging is presented to the modified MET14 machine.

(Colour Photographs - Middle Right & Left)
A Tancast test cut (left) and the finished machined item (right).

(Colour Photograph - Bottom)
In the photograph the A340 Butt-Strap programme required them to be stretch formed post machining using the unique Chadderton Post-War designed and built 350 Ton Stretch Form machine. The front items are machine and the rear items fully stretch formed.