Interview to José Judge Lángara, director manager of the Association Clúster of aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing and Space Hegan
The cluster aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing Basque
Recently Hegan presented the data of turnover of his associated, that are still in positive. It could explain us the main keys for these results?
The results registered in the sector answer to the behaviour of the demand of aircraft, to the important activity of engineering in the development of the new models and in the improvement of the current, as well as to the big work developed by all the chain of value. they are collecting The fruit of agreements of previous years and of the efforts realizar in investment of R&D.
Which weight have at present the companies of the clúster in the Spanish GDP and Basque? The forecast is that this figure keep or increase?
The aerial sector does not be used to to represent a very elevated percentage in the industry of any country/region. However, it recognises that each direct employment in this sector carries other 3,4 indirect employments. The companies of the clúster Hegan represent at present 1,1% of the total GDP, 4,8% of the industrial GDP Basque and 1,8% of the industrial employment Basque. And these companies have generated —in all the plants of Spain— 15,5% of the turnover aero Spanish and 24,2% of the employment. However, the CAPV only represents 4,6% of the population and 6,1% of the GDP of the State.
The perspectives of growth of the sector in all his plants for the next five years, in which practically it could bend the turnover, will improve definitely the weight on the GDP independently that other industrial states grow also.
It can give us an idea of how many integrated companies in Hegan devote to realizar pieces by means of mechanised?
Of our 38 partners, 19 companies realizar pieces mechanised of high precision, what shows the scope and the transcendence of this task between the activities of the companies. In some cases treats of the manufacture of big aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing sections of until 15 metres or of pieces of lower dimension, but of complex geometry and in others of small pieces of very high precision.
Among others factors, the investment in R&D is perhaps one of the main to the hour to access to international programs. Of which percentages are speaking? They are in the line of other European countries or still is missing us?
The investment in R&D is vital to keep the competitiveness in the aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing sector on a long-term basis. During the last year, the partners of Hegan invested in this chapter a total of 193 million euros, practically the same figure of the previous year, what supposes 12,2% of the total sales. Our companies autofinancian 82% of this game and allocate to 1.560 people to develop tasks in this field. The effort is big and our investment in R&D is perhaps a bit above the European, but the pervivencia of the companies depends to a large extent of the same. During the first fifteen years of life of the sector arrived to invest an average of 18% of the turnover.
For the next years, Europe demands to reduce of substantial way the weight of the aircraft. What will suppose this for the companies? They are prepared or in process to fulfil with these demands?
The last generations of aircraft, like the To380, the To350XWB and the Boeing 787 —in whose manufacture participate all the companies associated to the Cluster of aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing and Space Hegan —will have the minor consummate achieved until the moment in commercial aeroplanes: less than 3 litres by passenger to the 100 kilometres, in front of the 5 litres of the versions of does a decade, the 8 litres of the aeroplanes of the years 80, or even the 5,3 litres of half consumption by passenger of a car.
To attain these results and the important challenges posed for the future of the sector, the Basque companies participate from does several years in the most important projects of R&D to European level, the majority of them inside ambitious programs headed to the improvement of the environingingmental behaviour of the air transport. An estimate of the sector attributes to the environingingmental improvement 70% of the projects of R&D in which they participate these companies, what will allow improvements of the variables of reduction of noise, of the atmospheric broadcasts, of the consumption of fuel, as well as the employment of new materials lighter, reducing like this the impact in the climatic change.
In group, in 2012 the partners of Hegan participated in more than a hundred of projects of R&D. Big part of the current technological projects in which they participate have like aim reduce the weight of the structure and the aerodynamic resistance, incidiendo in the reduction of broadcasts of the C02 issued by the aircraft, and in achieving turbines more silent and efficient, what translates to his time in a lower consumption of fuel and lower generation of broadcasts of gases of effect invernadero.
The aeroplanes of today are 70% more silent and consume 70% less than 40 years ago. However, the vision of the European Union for the aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing industry in the next ten years is that it was a sector still “safer, cleaner and more silent”.
Which changes will be able to see in the aircraft as a result of this rule?
More than of futuristic designs are speaking of aircraft more ecological. The environingingmental aims for the period comprised between 2010 and 2020 are focused to achieve the aims established by the European program Acare, with which range the companies, and that will allow to achieve in the year 2020, comparing it with the year 2000, reduce to the half the noise issued by the aircraft, a reduction of 50% of the broadcasts of C02 and of 80% of broadcasts of NOx and a saving of 30% of fuel.
The consortium Clean Sky has set up 5 big integrated projects on real platforms in which they are active companies like Aernnova and ITP with environingingmental aims of reduction of the consumption of fuel and in consequence the broadcast of C02 of the aircraft of average and long scope between a 10 and 20%, as well as the noise between 5 and 10 dB. For the attainment of such aims, the project SFWA is developing a ‘intelligent wing‘ and new concepts of engine.
Inside the frame of Clean Sky find also other partners of the Cluster Aerospace Hegan, as Tecnalia, Aciturri, CTA and Sener, with diverse projects of developments of systems and equipment, motors, structures, new materials and systems of manufacture that will allow aeroplanes and motors more efficient and an improvement of the management of the aerial traffic.
In this sense, which are the tendencies that will mark the future of the aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing sector Spanish?
Treats to participate of integrated form in the big international programs of the sector that sue competitive companies, able to participate to risk in the projects, develop own technologies and that have a financial muscle and of sufficient structure to carry out it. Definitely one of the main challenges will be the one of the cooperation between companies.
In these moments, which are the main programs in which they work the partners of Hegan in the international field?
In the area of structures, our companies are partners to risk in the programs of Airbus To350XWB, To380, To400M, as well as in the Dassault Falcon 7X and in the regional aeroplanes Embraer 170/190 and ERJ 135/145 and in the ones of businesses of this manufacturer Legacy and Phenom. And in motors, the partners are members of consortiums like EPI for the realisation of the TP400, that motorises the To400M; Eurojet for the engine EJ200, MTRI for the MTR390And, and partners to risk for the engine PW1000G of Pratt & Whitney, the motors Trent 500/700/800/900 and XWB of Rolls-Royce and for the S-92 of the helicopter of Sikorsky. Also we have a company that keeps a transversal agreement for all the family of special gears of Turbomeca.
As it can see , the 100 by 100 of the programs in which they work our companies are international.
And in the Spanish market? What supposes the plant of Airbus in Seville for the companies of Hegan?
The companies of Hegan work for all the plants of manufacture of Airbus in Spain and for the one of Eurocopter, to which supply components and structures of aeroplanes that find in phase of manufacture. Also they supply complex elements situated in the line of final setting of the aeroplane of military transport To400M in Seville. The collaboration and the conjoint work is very good and gladden us that there is OEMs in Spain because the relation is more fluent and enriches to both parts.
The big corporations, have sufficient critical mass of companies subcontractors to his disposal to cover the demand?
From does several years produces a tendency to the concentration to purchase a sufficient critical mass to attend programs very ambitious. It is beneficial and necessary. It suits that they arise more unions, alliances or any type of cooperation that facilitate the efficiency of all the chain of value. And they need more suminsitradores.
In the last years has done more emphasis in the need of internationalisation, fulfil with the demanding standards of the sector and the collaboration between companies. It has evolved the sector in this sense or still remains a lot of way for visiting?
In our sector the internationalisation is a permanent requirement. Our companies are conscious of the challenge that supposes the dolarización in the process of shopping and the problems of the euro sobrevalorado. The partners of the cluster have in the actuality 20 plants in the outside: Brazil, China, Germany, United Kingdom, Mexico, States Joined, etc. These operations allow to be more near of the manufacturers and of the market and also produce in coins more competitive. Regarding the standards of the sector, the companies of Hegan were pioneering in fulfilling with the requirements of quality of the sector and advanced to the rest of Europe with an own norm. Besides the companies are collaborating between them and with companies of other latitudes, but always can do more.
In the aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing sector the companies hired are not mere subcontractors but they have to involve in the project from his starts. How they face the Spanish companies this situation?
As we have commented, many of our companies are already partners to risk of the aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing programs or participate in consortiums for the manufacture of motors, have surpassed the stadium of subcontractor, but also in this field there is margin of improvement so much by part of of the subcontractor as of the buyer to move with clarity his strategy of development of the chain.
In this sense, the requirements by part of the OEM in what quality, productive processes, etc., vary according to the level of outsourcing (Tier 3, Tier 2, Tier 1) or keep along all the chain?
The requirements are the same for all the chain of value —the aeroplane can not fail— but obviously the providers of first and second level have to face up to financial requirements very elevated to develop own product and own technologies. And the smallest have to bear the requirements of flexibility that sues them without prejudice to quality of any type.
“Clean Sky has set up 5 big projects with environingingmental aims of reduction of the consumption of fuel and broadcast of C02 of the aircraft of average and long scope between a 10 and 20%, as well as the noise between 5 and 10 dB”
