magazin "take off" - issue 20
TRANSCRIPT
takeoff20
F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E 07.07
New Look:Optimized Cabin for the A320 Family
Investment Facility 4:Intensive Growth in the NacelleSegment Expected
Supplier Performance:FACC Assigns the “ExcellentSupplier Award”
Facility 4 for Nacelle Components is in Operation
Facility 4 for Nacelle Components is in Operation
TAKEOFF16 takeoff2 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
We did it! The largest construction project to date inthe history of FACC has been completed: the newproduction facility for engine nacelle components inReichersberg. It was recently put into operation,right on schedule. Many guests came from Austriaas well as from abroad to the opening ceremony andenjoyed the airy atmosphere of the open architectu-re of the building with all of its glass.
NIKI is now flying with components made byFACC. It is always a matter of pride and joy when ourproducts are put to use by a domestic company. Alt-hough our export rate is almost 100%, we have theAustrian low-cost airline NIKI to thank for the decisi-on to use planes with parts from FACC. Niki Lauda,the head of the airline, personally took over his firstA319 at Airbus in Hamburg and flew it home. In thisissue we report about the involvement of FACC inthe re-design of the passenger cabin of the AirbusA320 Family.
“And the winners are…,” is what could be heardwhen, for the first time, FACC awarded the “Excel-lent Supplier Award 2006” in gold, silver and bronze,distinguishing the best suppliers for their excellentperformance. In cooperating with suppliers, FACCstrives for long-term partnerships and absolute relia-bility in respect to quality and adherence to deliverydates, the basis for high-quality products and, as aresult, satisfied customers. The companies that wonthe award also contributed greatly with their commit-ment and dedication. We would like to thank thewinners and congratulate them on their achieve-ments.
And then on to a completely different topic: afterten years of the same familiar face, our magazine“take off” is getting a new “look”. Our graphic artistworked hard to come up with a new, modern, andhopefully pleasing layout. You are holding the resultin your hand. We hope you enjoy it.
Manfred Neuböck/Andrea SchachingerEditors
PS.: We welcome any of your comments and ideas.
CONTENTS
03 Superlatives:The brisk sales in planes
04 New Look:Optimized Cabin for the A320 Family
06 Investments:Facility 4 for Nacelle Components Is in Operation
10 Event:FACC Celebrates the Opening of Facility 4
12 Technical Colloquium:„New developments for new aircraft requirements“
13 Quality Management:Certification and Recertification Successfully Completed
14 Airbus Aerostructures Suppliers Council:„Change the way we work together“
15 Innovative Upper Austria 2010:From Research to Work. We are shaping the future.
18 Supplier Performance:FACC Assigns the “Excellent SupplierAward 2006”
19 Speed Personified:Niki Lauda
Published by: FISCHER ADVANCED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS AG, Fischerstraße 9,
A-4910 Ried/Austria. Editorial Staff: Manfred Neuböck, Walter Stephan, Andrea Schachinger.
Photos: Lang & Lang Klagenfurt, Alois Furtner Ried, Airbus Deutschland Yohan Raintung, Airbus
S.A.S. H. Goussé, NIKI Wien, FACC Ried, Land OÖ Linz, Rieder Magazin Ried, Helmut Spudich
Wien, eduhi Linz. Design and Composition: Oskar Pointecker, 4941 Mehrnbach.
takeoff 3F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
SUPERLATIVES>> In the last few months both the
aviation industry and FACC have
experienced several superlatives.
The brisk sales in planes in the
first half of 2007 and especially the
large number of orders during
the Paris Airshow exceeded all
expectations analysts had expressed
six months ago. We are assuming
that the trend will continue this year
and that altogether more than a total
of 1,500 airplanes will be ordered.
With the A380 and the new A350
XWB program, Airbus presented
highlights that met enormous
acceptance with customers. The
large number of new orders for the
A350 XWB shows how well the new
long-range aircraft has been
accepted. On the other hand, Boeing,
with its introduction of the 787, can
be proud of the most successful
launch of a commercial airplane in the
history of aviation: 642 planes were
sold between the project launch
and the roll-out of the aircraft that
took place on July 8 - the significant
day of 07-08-07. For the composite
industry, the 787 without a doubt
represents a superlative. Light
composites make up 50% of the
aircraft’s materials, with the fuselage
and wings being in large part of this
advanced material. This is an abso-
lute innovation world-wide that will
start a general trend in the industry.
What is also impressive about this
project is that 70% of the aircraft is
being developed and delivered
by program partners, while Boeing
is primarily concentrating on the
integration of the delivered compo-
nents. The final assembly of the first
787 took place in a record time of
less than 25 days. When the pro-
gram is fully running, the final as-
sembly will be completed in only 3
days.
FACC came up with its own super-
latives in the past few months. The
new facility 4 is the biggest structure
ever built by the company. With a
production volume of between 70
and 100 million US dollars, it enables
us to take a great leap forward in
capacity, a production capacity
which we can offer an aviation
industry that is craving for composites.
Many guests from Austria and abroad
came to the opening ceremony, and
could check out for themselves the
high degree of automation and
excellent technology in the production
of nacelle components.
As this issue of take off is being
published, FACC is issuing its first
hybrid capital bonds with a volume
of 40 million euros. The bond is an
innovative financial instrument that
has the character of equity capital,
is listed on the stock market, is offered
to consumers as a retail item, and
thus fulfils the regulations of the
financial market authorities. The
revenues of the bonds serve above
all to finance development projects
and contribute towards maintaining
FACC’s Tier1 status at Airbus and to
help it acquire this status at Boeing
with future projects. In addition, the
increase of equity capital basis
gives FACC the potential for
acquisitions, thus guaranteeing
further growth.
Intensive growth of the company
puts an increasing demand on its
management. In order to be ready
for the challenges of tomorrow, we
are already making focused provisi-
ons today. One of these is the ”Take
Off 2010” program, in the course of
which we screen existing manage-
ment structures in cooperation with
tried and tested external advisors in
our desire to adjust these structures
to the needs of a growing industry.
In the area of engineering, FACC
is in the middle of creating new
concepts designed to ensure that
the comprehensive development
skills in new large projects can also
be successfully provided despite
the limited engineering resources in
Austria and Europe.
I am convinced that, thanks to
all these actions and measures, we
will be in a position to expand
our capabilities and capacities to
such a degree that after years of
disproportionally high strains, a
slight relief in the various depart-
ments of the company will be
noticeable, despite the continuing
rapid growth of the aircraft
industry. <<
Walter A. Stephan
Chairman of the Board
FACC AG
foto © helmut spudich
>> Fifteen years ago FACC deliver-
ed the first overhead stowage com-
partments and ceiling panels for
Airbus A320. Since its commissio-
ning in 1988, this single-aisle air-
craft has become a sales hit, and
over 5,000 orders make it one of the
world’s best-selling jet airliner. The
full order books guarantee that the
program will continue for a long ti-
me. Moreover, the lifecycle of the
cabin is much shorter than that of
the aircraft. This is reason enough
for those responsible at Airbus to
adjust the cabin to the changing de-
mands of the market and passen-
gers and to add more room and
comfort as well as to implement
technical innovations. As a long-
time partner of Airbus, FACC played
a definitive part in the redesign of
the cabin.
The “Enhanced Cabin” ofthe A320 Family:More Room – More Comfort
The new cabin effectively features
the most modern design and tech-
nological innovations. New smooth
lines not only create an ambient at-
mosphere but also give more space
at shoulder level. FACC, responsible
for the design, qualification, manu-
facture and delivery of the ceiling
panels, overhead stowage com-
partments and cove light panels,
can through an optimized design of
these components significantly im-
prove the height of the cabin and,
consequently, the comfort of the
passenger.
The wide cabin and it’s state-of-
the-art design allow the installation
of bigger overhead stowage com-
partments. FACC has developed
overhead stowage compartments for
the Airbus A320 that offer room for
five pieces of standard hand lugga-
ge, at the same time maintaining the
rigidity of the compartment and kee-
ping costs and weight at a minimum.
The increased overhead stowage of-
fers 15 per cent more volume.
Less Weight, OptimizedAcoustics, Higher Efficiency
The far-reaching innovations that
FACC applied to the cabin techno-
“Passengers at heart; Airline in mind”. This is the motto that accompanied Airbusduring the design of the cabins for its A320 Family. FACC is an important partner inthe endeavor, and overhead stowage compartments, ceiling panels and cove lightpanels come from Austria.
NEW LOOK:Optimized Cabin for the A320 Family
TAKEOFF16 takeoff4 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
logy of the A320 result in significant
weight reduction and optimized
acoustic properties. This advance-
ment was achieved by improving
the lay-up process in component
production and decoupling acoustic
connections of the cabin to the pla-
ne structure.
The main focus of the design of
the individual interior components
was on an increase of efficiency in
the assembly of the cabin. A simp-
ler and faster installation in the as-
sembly line is achieved through
newly developed, flexible fastening
elements. This results in definite
time savings for the airline while
doing maintenance work and remo-
deling the cabin.
The state-of-the-art cabin design
is weight-saving, which means the
plane saves on fuel and is more en-
vironmental-friendly.
While designing the individual in-
terior components, FACC paid spe-
cial attention to increasing efficien-
cy during assembly. A simpler and
faster installation in the airplane as-
sembly line is achieved through
newly developed, flexible connec-
ting elements. These significantly
save the airlines time during main-
tenance and retrofitting of the cabin.
Time and money are also saved
through automation in the producti-
on process. In the production of the
cabin components FACC is putting
added emphasis on the use of 3D
laser projection and two mold pres-
ses, which make it possible to pro-
duce components in higher quanti-
ties in a shorter process time.
Faster Development Process
FACC has finished most of the de-
velopment work on the project that
included component design, engi-
neering, and qualification, the deve-
lopment and production of the tools
as well as the development and
qualification of new materials and
processes. The enhanced cabin
systems went into serial production
in December 2006, and in 2007
FACC is already equipping half of
the planes delivered by Airbus –
around 180 planes – with the new,
lighter cabin equipment. Due to high
demand, the current total orders for
the A320 Family amount to more
than 2,000 planes. Furthermore, Air-
bus offers the new enhanced cabins
for retrofitting in existing planes of
this model series, of which 3,091
planes are currently in use by air-
lines. This means that a high de-
mand for cabin retrofitting and with
it additional orders for FACC may
be expected.
NIKI Receives the First Airbus A319 Featuring theNew Cabin
In March the Austrian carrier NIKI
has received its first Airbus A319 at
the occasion of a delivery ceremony
in Hamburg. The A319 selected by
NIKI is the first A320 Family aircraft
worldwide delivered with the new
state-of-the-art cabin interior, mak-
ing the aircraft quieter, lighter,
brighter and more spacious. This
A319 further expands the present
NIKI Airbus fleet, which already
consists of five A320s and one
A321. NIKI will use the A319 on its
Vienna – Moscow – Vienna route
and the greater freedom of move-
ment afforded by the new cabin
gives passengers a new dimension
in comfort.
Not surprisingly, we have heard
these positive opinions about the
new cabins:
takeoff 5F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
Niki LaudaPresident of NIKI
“We have chosen the A319 be-
cause we base our fleet on qua-
lity, operational economics and
comfort. The new Airbus cabin is
an extra bonus for our passen-
gers, who are used to our high
quality customer service. This
extra level of comfort guarantees
customer satisfaction and that is
our top priority.”
John Leahy Chief Operating Officer –
Customers, Airbus
“Non-stop innovation, this is
what the new cabin is all about.
We have delivered on all fronts,
space, and quietness, light, to
give NIKI and future A320 Family
passengers an even better pro-
duct. And we are proud that NIKI
proves us right with their selecti-
on of the A319. Just this little bit
more passenger comfort will add
to the A320 Family’s leading ed-
ge reputation, and make passen-
gers come back for more. “
Walter Stephan Chief Executive Officer,
FACC AG
“In addition to high passenger
comfort and roominess, reduced
weight and low operation costs
are among the deciding factors
of a passenger cabin. We strive
to fulfill these demands through
consistent research and innova-
tive, light, fuel-saving solutions.
NIKI banks on excellent service,
and as an Austrian aviation com-
pany we are especially pleased
to be able to support them in
their success.”
TAKEOFF16 takeoff6 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
With the new production facility in Upper Austrian Reichersberg, FACC sets newstandards in respect to efficient component production and higher automation. Aftera sensationally short construction period, production started on schedule.
>> On April 23, 2007, FACC started
up its fourth production facility. This
is the beginning of an important fu-
ture-oriented project for the compa-
ny as well as for the region. Around
110 employees are now producing
nacelle components there for Good-
rich, Vought, Aermachi and Aircelle.
The largest single project for this
new facility is the translating sleeve
for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Starting in 2010, FACC will also pro-
duce this system for Airbus´s future
long-range aircraft, the A350 XWB.
By then the number of employees in
the facility will exceed 300. The pro-
duction and logistic processes are
optimally geared to the customers´
needs, so that at full capacity a
monthly production of over 34 pie-
ces can be carried out for the trans-
lating sleeve alone.
Quality and Technology
FACC has invested around 40 mil-
lion euros in property, buildings, in-
formation technology and equip-
ment for production. In the course
of the construction of the 20,000 m2
building, comprehensive measures
were taken to increase the automa-
tion and efficiency of production of
top-quality composite components.
INVESTMENTS:Facility 4 for Nacelle Components Is in Operation
takeoff 7F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
The most modern equipment for
testing components assure flawless
quality of the products.
Rapid Implementation
The successful cooperation of all those
involved in the project – over 350
people from 40 suppliers – lead-ma-
naged by Delta Projectconsult, a
general contractor in Wels - ensured
that the project was finished on
schedule. Construction lasted from
April 2006 to April 2007. The largest
construction project to date for
FACC could be completed from the
ground-breaking to start-up of pro-
duction in only 12 months and in
keeping with the cost objectives.
Top-quality Architecture
FACC put a lot of emphasis on top-
notch architecture that also took so-
cial well-being into consideration.
The new site is attractive in its
openness and light and friendly at-
mosphere. The large amount of
glass in the façade, unusual for in-
dustrial buildings, is particularly stri-
king. This gives the building an
“airy” appearance and offers a con-
stant view of the outside. Just by
looking from the outside in, one can
get a sense of the production flow
from the beginning to the end.
Production of nacelle components for civil aircraft
Area: 20,000 m2/ 215,278 sq.ft.
Construction period: 12 month
Investment: 40 million Euro
jobs at full capacity 350
annual turnover: 70 million Euro
materials used:
glass façade 2,240 m2/24,111 sq.ft.
steel rods 600,000 kg / 1,322,774 lbs.
concrete columns 2,296 meters / 7,532 ft.
underground passageways 400 meters/1,312 ft.
profiled sheeting roof 19,300 m2/207,743 sq.ft.
epoxy resin flooring 50.4 m3/66.0 cu.yd.
Facts and Figures FACC Facility 4 – Nacelles
TAKEOFF16 takeoff8 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
TECHNICAL DATA:
Autoclave 1 Autoclave 2
Diameter: 4.5 m/13.1 ft. 6.1 m/19.7 ft.
Loading diameter: 4 m/13.1 ft. 5.5 m/16.4 ft.
Length: 12 m/40.0 ft. 12 m/40.0 ft.
Pressure: 10 bar 10 bar
Max. temperature: 250 °C 250 °C
Volume: 222,000 l 423,000 l
TECHNICAL DATA:
Linx40
CNC-controlled 5-axis milling machine
Rotation speed: 24.000 rpm
Feed rate: 65.000 mm/min
Work range axis: X-axis: 8.2 m/26.2 ft.
Y-axis: 4 m/13.1 ft.
Z-axis: 2 m/6.6 ft.
TECHNICAL DATA:
Inspection Volume:
Cylindrical parts: Diameter: max 4.5 m/13.1 ft.,
min 0.6 m/3.3 ft.; Height: max 3 m/9.8 ft.
Flat parts: max. 5.8 m/16.4 ft. x 3.0 m/9.8 ft. x 0.3 m/3.3 ft.
Minimum detectable flaw:
Monolithic parts: 4 mm/0.16 in. x 4 mm/0.16 in.
Sandwich parts: 10 mm/0.39 in. x 10 mm/0.39 in.
AUTOCLAVE
ULTRASONIC INSPECTION EQUIPMENT (C-SCAN)
MACHINING CENTERJOMACH 1137
takeoff 9F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
TRANSPORT OF THE AUTOCLAVE:A logistic masterpiece
Although the super-sized autoclave was transported via water with no problems, the
100 kilometers by road became a hurdle race at a snail’s pace.
It took three days and one night of constant moving to maneuver the 212-ton
autoclave – the largest production equipment of the new facility – from the Danube
port in Aschach to the final destination in Reichersberg.
A team of 50 people completed the preparations necessary so that the 38.5 m
long and 6.6 m wide flat bed truck could navigate the roads. Bridges had to be rein-
forced with steel plates, electric and telephone wires had to be raised, streets wide-
ned and road signs, traffic lights, lampposts and fences removed. And to assure that
everything would run smoothly, both the route and procedure were meticulously plan-
ned and checked.
TAKEOFF16 takeoff10
>> On June 22, 2007, FACC cele-
brated the opening of its new na-
celle components production facility
in Reichersberg with a lavish party.
The event was attended by hun-
dreds of guests, including custo-
mers, suppliers and business part-
ners from all over the world, as well
as representatives from politics and
business. “Our strategy is clear. We
want to expand our position as one
of the leading suppliers of technolo-
gically sophisticated nacelle and
engine components in the growing
field of aviation and to be our custo-
mers’ preferred partner”, is how
Walter Stephan, CEO of FACC,
pointed out the ambitious goals of
the company. This building of this
new facility substantiates this claim.
Today we are celebrating the result
of an intensive collaboration bet-
ween FACC and different public
authorities as well as the dedicated
support of the state of Upper Au-
stria.”
The Upper Austrian provincial
governor, Dr. Josef Pühringer, gave
the building his official approval and
proudly emphasized: “Upper Au-
stria is the country’s number one
province for exports. More than
26% of Austria’s exports in the pro-
duction of real assets come from
our provincial state. FACC is one of
the domestic ‘kings of exports’ –
those companies that long ago
made the world their home market.
It is one of the local companies that
has established itself on the most
highly competitive international mar-
kets with its expertise and products,
thereby contributing to the most gra-
tifying current economic situation.”
EVENT:FACC Celebrates the Opening
of Facility 4
F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
Curtis Reusser of Goodrich, Walter Stephan of FACC, Upper Austrian Governor JosefPühringer and Under Secretary Ingolf Schädler of the Ministry of Traffic, Innovation andTechnology officially dedicating the facility.
Awesome: the largest project in the new Facility 4: the translating sleeves for Boeing 787.
Presentor Karin Keglevich, a charming host throughout theprogram, welcoming the board members Bernhard Matzner,Manfred Neuböck and Walter Stephan
takeoff 11F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
Bernd Roser and Fritz Holzinger ofEurocopter Donauwörth
Josef Fischer talking to CEO LudwigScharinger and Provost Werner Thanecker.
COO Manfred Neuböck (r.) explaining theproduction of nacelle components to visitors.
Alexander Puttinger, head of the supervisoryboard at FACC Florian Keiper-Knorr andLudwig Paischer and Markus Schütz
Robin Thevathasan of Singapore Technolo-gies Engineering and Prof. Günter Kappler
Curtis Reusser, Vice President & General Managerof Goodrich thanking the FACC team for their ex-cellent cooperation
E. Lichun and Cheng Yongman ofShenyang Aircraft Corporation
A new role for the autoclave: the stage forthe W4 Flying Dance Group.
Clay Lacy of Clay Lacy Aviation, Mike Dunlop,Präsident of QPM Aerospace and Joe Clark,Chairman & CEO of Aviation Partners Boeing
Nigel Wright, CEO of Onex and JamesUrso, Vice President from Spirit Aerosystems
Andy Marshall/Rolls-Royce, AleksandarVujisic/FACC, Thomas Pleli/ACT and JonathanWatson/Rolls-Royce
Governor Josef Pühringer (l.) and Upper AustrianSecretary of Commerce Victor Sigl (r.) arebeing introduced to the aircraft componentmanufacturing by CEO Walter Stephan.
High ranking guests from Austria and abroad flocked to the openingceremony of the new facility.
TAKEOFF16 takeoff12 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
>> The program focused on new
material developments for nacelle
applications and new process tech-
nology aimed at reducing producti-
on costs. A main focal point dealt
with the activities in simulation de-
velopment for a diverse range of
tasks.
Clark Smith of Hexcel Composi-
tes reported about the so-called
acoustic cap technology, which si-
gnificantly improves the noise ab-
sorption of core materials and in the
future can deliver new design possi-
bilities according to acoustic
aspects for engine applications.
Carmelo Lofaro of Cytec Enginee-
red Materials presented new deve-
lopments in the resin area for high
temperature applications, new semi-
finished fiber products for the liquid
resin infusion process and materials
for the improvement of surface
properties of cowling components.
The talk by Ronny Wockatz of Toho
Tenax Europe revolved around the
current world-wide activities of the
different carbon fiber producers
aimed at avoiding bottlenecks in the
delivery of these high-tech fibers
that exist because of the massive
increase of the proportion of carbon
in current airplane developments.
Ulrich Krüger of the paint manu-
facturer PPG Aerospace focused on
a paint system that has been opti-
mized in its strippability. First me-
chanical results in microwave curing
of duroplastic aviation resin sys-
tems and related equipment were
presented by Maksim Podkorytovof the Deutsches Luft- und Raum-
fahrtzentrum (DLR), the German
aviation and aeronautics center.
Reports about the newest simu-
lation methods of assessing dama-
ged lamination structures and illu-
strating noise reduction of the air-
plane interior structures was pre-
sented by Heinz Pettermann of the
Institute for Lightweight Constructi-
on and Structure Mechanics at the
Technical University of Vienna and
by Randolf Arndt of the Acoustic
Competence center in Graz. Mat-thias Radny of Altair Engineering
TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM“New developments for new aircraft requirements”
On June 21, 2007, FACC hosted the fourth FACC Technical Colloquium in Salzburg.The event was planned around the opening of the new Facility 4, and was called “Newdevelopments for new aircraft requirements”. We were able to book 10 internationalspeakers from our suppliers and research partners, and around 90 participants atten-ded from Austria as well as from abroad.
presented software packages that
can be applied to optimize the
weight of composite components.
The last part of the series of talks
dealt with methods of optimizing
components in both cost and static
performance. The speaker was Xa-vier Mencaglia of the Belgian re-
search institute Cenaero. The Insti-
tute for Industrial Manufacturing
and Factory Operation of the Uni-
versity of Stuttgart, represented by
Jörg Niemann, developed the me-
thod of “life cycle controlling”,
which makes it possible to make
use of findings in serial production
in the further development of com-
ponents, thereby saving costs in the
entire process chain.
The symposium was conducted
by the R&D department of FACC
AG. Elisabeth Ladstätter organized
the session, supported by Andreas
Lutz, Thomas Wettemann, Swen
Zaremba, Renate Fischer-Polat and
Simone Ott. <<
Left Image:
Chairman Prof. Klaus
Drechsler of the
University of Stuttgart
greets the many
participants.
Right Image:
Elisabeth Ladstätter,
R&D M&PE Director
thanked the chairman
and the speakers with
a small present.
takeoff 13F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
QUALITY MANAGEMENT:Certification and Recertification Successfully Completed>> As a manufacturer of aircraft
components, FACC has to comply
with strict safety and quality stan-
dards. In order to be in the position
to supply aircraft components and
services, licenses and certifications
must be obtained from the aviation
authorities and accredited certifica-
tion organizations, which then su-
pervise and verify this process.
2007 began with a full schedule for
the certification and recertification
of FACC's quality management sy-
stem and the main manufacturing
and inspection processes in accor-
dance with the established interna-
tional standards.
In January and February 2007, the
“NADCAP” recertification audit
took place at FACC's facilities in
Ried and Ort, which led to the ex-
tension of our certification up to the
30th of April 2008. The NADCAP
certification for "Special Processes"
is contractually mandated by all our
customers and for FACC it currently
applies to the Composite Manufac-
turing Process and Non Destructive
Testing. The NADCAP certification
is typically valid for a year and re-
qualification is subject to a periodic
verification.
In April and May 2007, FACC rea-
ched another milestone with the re-
certification of its Quality Manage-
ment System in accordance with
the requirements of the EN 9100standard. All FACC sites in Ried,
Reichersberg, Wien, Bratislava (Slo-
vakia) and Montreal (Canada) are
operating under the same quality
management system and after the
successful audit (more than 10 days
of verification by aerospace experi-
enced examiners) they are now all
covered under one certificate. The
EN 9100 certificate for the Quality
Management System is recognized
worldwide by the aerospace indu-
stry and it is a must for any compa-
ny that wants to be part of the aero-
space industry. The certificate is va-
lid for three years subject to an an-
nual surveillance verification by an
independent “third party” supplier
oversight system.
After a successful audit in May 2007
by the Austrian civil aviation autho-
rity AustroControl, FACC achieved
an extension of its "Production Or-
ganisation Approval" (POA) in ac-
cordance with the requirements of
EASA PART 21, Section A, Sub-part G to also cover the new facility
(Plant 4) in Reichersberg. <<
Those responsible
for the certification
at FACC were Demetris
Demetri, Martin Eisner,
Gerhard Flachs, Sabine
Vöcklinger, and Thomas
Knechtl.
„WE LIKE TO DEAL WITH AMERICA“For FACC the USA is the Number One Export Country
>> In January a delegation of repre-
sentatives from FACC, our customer
Aviation Partners Boeing, and the
Upper Austrian government were
invited to a reception at the Hietzing
residence of the US ambassador
Susan R. McCaw (7thf.l.). The Ambas-
sador emphasized the excellent
cooperation between FACC and the
US company Aviation Partners Boeing
(APB), for whom the Upper Austrian
aviation supplier produces the Blended
Winglets for different Boeing 737 and
757 models as well as for the Boeing
Business Jet. In addition to APB,
FACC also supplies five further large
aviation manufacturers in the USA
with light composite components.
FACC´s export volume came to
77 million euros last year, 42% of the
business going to the USA, making
the US the company’s number one
export country. <<
TAKEOFF16 takeoff14 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
AIRBUS AEROSTRUCTURES SUPPLIERS COUNCIL“Change the way we work together”
>> Airbus has named FACC, along
with eight other strategic suppliers,
as members in the Aerostructures
Suppliers Council, which was crea-
ted in January 2007 at its first mee-
ting. Working under the motto
“Change the way we work toget-
her”, Airbus follows the philosophy
in their Supplier Councils of invol-
ving suppliers in decisions and work
processes earlier and more intensi-
vely, thereby achieving more bene-
fits for all parties. The main goal for
Airbus is to reduce the costs in the
entire supplier base and to establish
an efficient network of tier 1 princi-
pal suppliers. The council offers Air-
bus and its suppliers the chance to
exchange ideas and opinions and
also to achieve tangible results
through projects of common inte-
rest. It should help to create a win-
win situation for all those involved
and guarantee a basis for long-
term, productive cooperation.
The Aerostructures Suppliers
Council deals with four subprojects:
the creation of a unified and fair
contractual framework; the deve-
lopment of an inter-corporate Low
Cost Sourcing Strategy; the optimi-
zing of Change Management regar-
ding cost-savings; and the harmoni-
zing and application of unified stan-
dards for processes for tooling, ma-
terials, and production within Air-
bus and the entire supplier chain.
Airbus is planning to implement
the results of the different subpro-
jects for the first time in the A350
XWB program. <<
Participating companies
that made the kick-off
meeting a success were
Airbus, Aernnova, Alenia
Aeronautica, EADS
Deutschland, FACC, GKN
Aerospace, Latecoere,
SAAB, Spirit Aerospace
and Stork Fokker.
takeoff 15F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
>> The region is moving ahead force-
fully with the implementation of the
business program. 40 measures are
already in place, two are being pre-
pared and one is in the planning
stage. By the end of the year all 43
measures will have been implemen-
ted. Likewise, by the end of 2007,
more than half of the projected 2010
volume of 600 million euros will be
at work. Some of the measures so
far: the Upper Austrian Research
Fund, the technical college for
wood construction, Power Girls, Jo-
hannes Kepler University initiative,
an environment technology net-
work, Logistikum Steyr, broadband
internet project, expansion of the
Hagenberg software park, Austrian
Center of Competences in Mecha-
Upper Austria is THE business and innovation engine of Austria. “We also want to playthis leading role in Europe”, Viktor Sigl, the Upper Austrian Secretary of Commerce,said. Upper Austria has committed itself to a clear course for the future with its busi-ness program. “43 specific innovation measures, drawn up by 250 experts, are toboost Upper Austria`s position as a business and innovation location and make it intoone of the most innovative regions of Europe”, Sigl said. Upper Austria is banking on5 future-oriented areas: R&D, professional skills, networks and cooperation, impulsesfor the region as a business and technology venue and EU networking. Secretary ofCommerce Sigl continued: “R&D, innovation, and increased technology are the cor-nerstone of a modern future. Only those who research now will have modern future-oriented jobs tomorrow. WE are shaping the future!”
tronics, IKT bonus, and much more.
Research & Development
A model for success – the UpperAustrian Research Fund for FFGbasis programs. Since November
2005, 177 Upper Austrian compa-
nies have been given this additional
grant.
INNOVATIVE UPPER AUSTRIA 2010:From Research to Work. We are shaping the future.
TAKEOFF16 takeoff16 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
MAIN POINTS OF THE 2007 PROGRAM>> Upper Austria is participating in the federal competency center program “COMET”.
After the first evaluation rounds, one C2 center and four C1 centers are still
under consideration.
>> An initiative on the university level to expand the technology and science department
at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz in cooperation with the federal government
and business.
>> The Upper Austrian research fund will be raised to € 3.3 million (+ 20%).
>> Social competency as a key qualification is being given special attention.
>> New, innovative cooperation is being promoted, for example in the health care sector
between small and mid-sized businesses and major companies in the health care
sector of Upper Austria.
>> The expansion of the network of Upper Austrian technology centers has been completed.
>> And, for the first time, Upper Austria is co-hosting the technology discussions at the
European Forum in Alpbach.
Another first: For the first time
Upper Austria is one of the hostsof the technology discussions atthe European Forum in Alpbachand can contribute actively to the
national and international discussi-
ons in the area of innovation. The
topic of the workshop is “Changes
in Industry”.
Professional qualifications
Upper Austria is the first region to
dedicate itself to “social compe-
tence” as a key qualification to
strengthen people’s social skills.
This involves all educational institu-
tions, from nursery schools to adult
further education.
Networks
In order to facilitate innovations in
the plastics sector, Upper Austria
created the Plastics Cluster in 1999,
thereby creating targeted ways of
enhancement within the framework
of cluster cooperation funding.
With more than 380 partner compa-
nies, including FACC, the Plastics
Cluster is Austria’s largest network
for plastics technology. It funds, in-
itiates and coordinates cooperation
between companies, as well as bet-
ween companies and technology
transfer institutions. The goal is the
bundling of potentials and compe-
tencies to increase the power of in-
novation and international competi-
tiveness of the partners. In 2007
Upper Austria will, for the first time,
also support the cooperation of
companies and research institutions
in numerous projects in networksconnecting the branches of hu-
man resources, design & media, en-
vironment technology and logistics.
Economic and technologylocation Upper Austria
The 21 technology centers in Up-
per Austria are innovation centers
that are home to around 500 com-
panies and 3,300 employees. The
showpiece is the Hagenberg Soft-
ware Park with 40 companies and 8
international research institutions.
The expansion of the network of
Upper Austrian technology centers
The “Innovative Upper Austria 2010” program is running full speed ahead. The Upper Austrian Secretary of Com-
merce Viktor Sigl (right), the Upper Austrian Technology Commissioner Günter Rübig (left) and TMG General Ma-
nager Gerlinde Pöchhacker
takeoff 17F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
The actual status of realisation of the
“Innovative Upper Austira 2010” economic
programme
will be completed with the con-
struction of the technology center
Mondseeland. In the course of this
year, a long-term strategy for the tech-
nology centers will be worked out.
EU Networking
When discussing EU networking,
the CEE Cluster Network project
should be highlighted. At an inter-
national meeting in Brussels in au-
tumn, Upper Austria will sign a co-
operation agreement along with all
middle and Eastern European regi-
ons, for the joint development of the
cluster and innovation policy.
The business program “Innovati-
ve Upper Austria 2010” is running
like clockwork, with more than 90
percent of it already implemented.
With this program Upper Austria’s
leading position will be strengthe-
ned and expanded in key areas.
Those who will profit are Upper Au-
stria’s economy and industry, the
young generation, those returning
to work after raising children, those
in the work force who are going
through further training, and many
more. They will all profit not only
today, since the measures are so
constructed as to be effective on a
long-term basis. After all, today is
when one should start thinking
about tomorrow. That is why the pa-
rameters for the technology paths
to 2020 are being worked on at full
speed.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR ... Anton KnierzingerUpper Austrian commissioner for broadband technology
What are the goals of the broadband initiative? With the broadband initiative we want to make Upper Austria even
more attractive as a business and innovation venue and to make
everyday life easier for Upper Austrians, be it in the workplace or at
home. New communication technology has opened up unimaginable
possibilities. However, new communication technology requires new
means of transportation, i.e. the broadband Internet.
Where does the implementation of the broadband initiative standnow?We are right on target, or rather we have even excelled our goal. At
present we have a broadband availability of 99 %. This means almost
everyone can take advantage of the fast Internet.
Who profits?Everyone can profit from the broadband initiative, whether business-
man, teleworker, housewife or student. Take students, for example.
No matter where or when, students can research in libraries and uni-
versities the world over, as well as download and send large data to
which they otherwise would have no access.
Focusing on Research and Development: Upper Austrian Secretary of Commerce Viktor Sigl
TAKEOFF16 takeoff18 F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE:FACC Assigns the “Excellent Supplier Award 2006”
>> These three companies perfor-
med extraordinarily well last year
and showed commitment in
meeting FACC's expectations re-
garding delivery and quality.
The main criteria for the nomina-
tion as the “FACC Excellent Sup-
plier 2006” are constantly high qua-
lity standards of the products as
well as adherence to delivery dates.
Additional factors are customer ser-
vice, flexibility, cooperation and the
readiness to implement cost-saving
and process-optimizing measures.
In cooperating with suppliers,
FACC AG strives for long-term part-
nerships and absolute reliability in
respect to quality and adherence to
delivery dates, which greatly contri-
butes towards high-quality pro-
Exceptional commitment and exemplary performance must be rewarded. ThereforeFACC has, for the first time, bestowed its best supplier with a supplier award.
ducts and as a result, satisfied cus-
tomers.
The “FACC Excellent Supplier”
award is a success that undoubted-
ly sheds positive light on the image
of the company receiving it and that
should motivate suppliers to conti-
nually improve upon their products,
processes and services, thereby
boosting the total success of the
firm. <<
FACC AG sees the “Excellent Supplier Award” as an important recognition of excel-
lent performance by a supplier. It will be awarded annually and in three categories,
gold, silver and bronze.
The following suppliers have received the award for 2006:
1. Gold: ASIAN COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING, located in Malaysia.
ACM was chosen by FACC as a supplier in 2003. ACM produces composite struc-
ture components for the wings of Boeing 777 and 767 aircraft.
2. Silver: CR SYSTEM COMPONENTS GMBH, located in Germany.
Core business: The production of turning workpieces, as well as punching, milling
and bending parts.
3. Bronze: EUROMOTIVE GMBH & CO KG, located in Austria.
Core business: The development and production of aluminium lightweight compo-
nents and systems made of profiles, as well as thixocasting, forging and casting parts.
f.l. Purchasing Manager
Rudolf Leitner with the
winners Rainer Lattuch
and Manfred Maier from
Euromotive (Bronze),
Martin Bögl taking over
the award for Asian
Composite Manufactu-
ring (Gold) and Michael
Rupp from CR System
Components (Silver).
Congratulations from
Quality Manager Deme-
tris Demetri and CEO
Walter Stephan.
takeoff 19F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
Speed Personified:
NIKI LAUDA
>> Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, born in
1949 in Vienna, showed his enthusi-
asm for racing as a fifteen-year-old
when he drove around his parents’
property in an old VW convertible
over ramps he built himself. After
high school he was trained as a car
mechanic, convinced that his future
would revolve around cars and
planes.
His debut in the top class of ra-
cing, Formula 1, was at the Austrian
Grand Prix in 1971 in a March Ford.
In 1974 he landed his first profes-
sional contract for the Enzo Ferrari
team. One year later he won for Fer-
arri in the Formula 1 world cham-
pionship. In 1976 the legendary Fer-
rari driver had a dramatic accident
at the German Grand Prix at the
Nürburg Ring. His car caught fire
and he suffered severe burns in his
face, and it was clear to his fans and
his colleagues that his career was
over. But a month later Lauda got
back into the cockpit of a race car
and in 1977 won the Formula 1
world champion title for Ferrari
again. In 1984 he capped his racing
career with his third world cham-
pionship title as a driver in the
McLaren Porsche team.
Flying was always his passion,
and his second career started when
he founded Lauda Air. The company
was doomed to failure because of
the monopoly of the Austrian natio-
nal carrier, Austrian Airlines. “Niki
Nazionale”, as he was known in Au-
stria, wouldn’t give up, and took
over Aero Lloyd Austria, turning it
into the first Austrian low cost airline
under the name of “NIKI”.
It is said that the race driver and
airline founder, whose trademark is
his red cap, is the only Austrian be-
sides Mozart and Schwarzenegger
who is known all over the world. <<
Whether he is at the wheel of a F1-Boliden speedingaround the racetrack or at the helm of an airline reactingquickly to changes in the market, one thing is quite clear:Niki Lauda is successful in both sports and business.
F ISCHER ADVANCED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS AG
Our open house was a roaring success. FACC employees and their families were able to see for themselvesthe dimension, the functionality and the architecture of the new facility.
OPEN HOUSE
A-4910 Ried/Austria, Fischerstraße 9, P.O.Box 192
Tel. +43 / 59 / 616 -0, Fax +43/ 59 / 616 - 81000
e-mail: [email protected], www.facc.at