plane talk spring 2016 - Aerospace€¦ · 2 plane talk spring 2016 Last year proved to be another...

plane talkspring 2016

2015 New Talent Awards

What’s happening with NATEP

Plus:NWAA Annual ConferenceFarnborough Air ShowMember NewsThe Latest From The Isle of Man

Photo: NWAA New Talent Award 2015 Winners with Wg Cdr Martin HigginsOfficer Commanding of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic team

2 plane talk spring 2016 www.aerospace.co.uk

Last year proved to be another record year for aircraft production with, 1397 aircraft flying off the production lines in 2015. This increased the value to UK industry by around £3Bn from the previous year. Civil aircraft production levels have grown such that an aircraft is delivered every 6½ hours from one of the world’s final assembly lines. It is the soaring success of our industry that has convinced the UK Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review to maintain support for the vital Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP). By committing an extra £900 million in aerospace funding for Research and Development up to 2026 the industry has the long term support it needs to make the right investment decisions.

I mentioned in my last report that I had been invited to join the Board of the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) and primarily to represent the Supply Chain. So much of the work of the Aerospace Growth Partnership has been focused on “Technology” and securing funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute which now has support to 2026. I am delighted that the Board of the AGP has decided that it will now focus its efforts on the “Supply Chain”. At the last meeting the board discussed the importance of maintaining manufacturing

and supply chain capability in the UK which I know will be of interest to our members. I’m excited that this is the start of a more strategic approach to how we build world-class capability, capacity and competitiveness at all levels of the supply chain.

Of course defence and military air in particular, are also hugely important to our region. I have been in the privileged position to visit both the BAE Systems Warton and Samlesbury sites in recent months. I was fortunate to tour the F-35 assembly facility which I have to say is one of the most impressive manufacturing sites I have ever seen. I was also able to tour the Eurofighter Typhoon final assembly line which must be one of the very few places in the UK with full aircraft production capability. Both visits were inspirational.

I was also inspired by the opening in January of the new clean room at Safran-Aircelle in Burnley. This new investment will manufacture the carbon fibre composite nacelle for the CFM International LEAP-1A engines on the AIRBUS A320neo single-aisle aircraft. This aircraft programme requires the most rapid production ramp-up ever for the civil aerospace industry and is why the Burnley site is now applying advanced processes such as robotic fibre placement machines

for the lay-up of composite material. This places the Burnley site at the top level of production capability for composite structures and is another example of world-class capability in our region.

I have also had the pleasure to visit Preston’s College and the new iSTEM Centre, the launch of Nelson and Colne College’s Engineering Centre and to see the investment from Training 2000 in a new Advanced Manufacturing Centre. It is great to see the region is investing in these new facilities to train the young engineers of the future.

On a final note, NWAA is now working towards our four key events of the year; the New Talent Awards Night (3rd March 2016), our Annual Conference (12th May 2016), Farnborough International Air Show 2016 (11th July 2016) and returning for the first time in a number of years the NWAA Annual Aerospace Ball (7th October 2016). Please make sure they are in your diary, the best way you can get value from you membership is to get involved, we’re here to work with and for our members, and these are great opportunities to engage with us and the wider industry.

David

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CONTENTS

2 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S STATEMENT 3 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

4-5 NATEP NEWS

6-11 NWAA NEWS

NWAAChief Executive’s Statement

By Dr David Bailey

4-5 14-1512-13 16-25

26 SAVE THE DATE

27 MEMBER NEWS

28 NWAA NEWS

12-13 MEMBER NEWS 14-15 ISLE OF MAN NEWS

16-25 MEMBER NEWS

3plane talk spring 2016@NWAerospace

NWAA Chairman’s Spring StatementBy Neil McKay

The year ahead looks, even this early, to be quite a challenging one given the current economic turmoil and the effects of a lower oil price on the global economy. The UK negotiations with Europe and the resultant upcoming referendum have the potential for significant impacts upon our industry but are difficult to judge in outcome terms at this stage. There will be issues to resolve collectively either way but we are however one of the strongest industries with probably the greatest growth potential of any sector in world economies and so are well placed for all eventualities.

The government support to aerospace continues to be strong and does recognise our unique impact on the national economy over the next generation. This is best evidenced by continued funding and involvement in the industries strategic planning through the AGP It is also striking and significant that the leadership of the AGP is recognising the need for supply chain emphasis in the next phase of national strategy and it is crucial for our future competitiveness that mechanisms for supply chain

improvement drive increased UK performance at all levels of the industry rendering us capable for all political outcomes.

Action on the ground in this region is being influenced through the supply chain workshops and continues to feed the material driving future change mechanisms that we will encompass in our future programme plans, currently under discussion with the regional authorities for intended application this year. The workshop material is also influencing the AGP leadership who can see strong signals and a pragmatic approach demonstrating a “can do” attitude from the supply chain itself. This gives us, through our CEO, a strong voice in the formulation of sector strategy through a future SC 21+ programme for the development of all companies in the supply chain to high global standards.

This theme will be behind all our events this year and we will look to build from this basis with the involvement of all our members. Your opportunity to be involved is enhanced by the nature of our eventing this year. We are

endeavouring to engage all levels and participants of the supply chain whether that be at the regular workshops or at the major events such as the annual conference in May or at Farnborough this summer. Also in October we have reintroduced the NWAA Annual Aerospace Ball after many members lobbied for it to be brought back as a unique networking and general business get together.

Through these and other types of forums being planned we aim to get all of the membership close to the information sources and influences and ultimately involved in programmes that drive through that mechanism for change to an unparalleled competitive position in global markets.

Neil

Castle Metals UKBlackburnLancashirewww.amcastle.com

DePe Gear Company LtdStoke on TrentStaffordshirewww.depe.co.uk

The NWAA welcomes the following new members...BCW Engineering LtdBurnleyLancashirewww.bcw-engineering.co.uk

WolfmetTrafford ParkManchesterwww.wolfmet.com

Böllhoff Armstrong LtdHullKingston upon Hullwww.bollhoff.com

NatWestBlackburnLancashirewww.natwest.com

Nu-Tech Exhibitions & EventsCockermouthCumbriawww.nu-techassociates.co.uk

Cristex Composite Materials AccringtonLancashirewww.cristex.co.uk

Training 2000BlackburnLancashirewww.training2000.co.uk

Remvox AvionicsPrestonLancashirewww.remvox.co

Franke Bearings LtdPrestonLancashirewww.franke-gmbh.com

Techni Grind PrestonLancashirewww.tgmeng.co.uk


NATEP NEWS

NATEPWhat’s Happening in NATEP?The North West projects funded in Call 5 have been launching over the last quarter with some fascinating projects across a range of technologies including UAV’s, graphene, signal & image processing, manufacturing processes and tooling. Details on all of the projects are available on the NATEP website www.natep.org.uk.

Over 100 projects have been launched to date nationally, with a small number still to launch in the coming weeks. Whilst the funding calls for NATEP have ended it has been confirmed that the current programme will run until September 2017, and there is work being done to try and secure funding to run additional calls in the future.

Flight Guardian is Successfully Completed.

The NWAA team were proud to be involved with the first successfully completed NATEP Project. The team behind Flight Guardian – The Great Circle Ltd, the University of Central Lancashire and McLaren Applied Technologies (end user) set out to integrate movement and sensor tech-nologies, which could be developed into a system to read aircraft analogue instruments, recognise hazardous situa-tions in flight and communicate voice activated prompts to the pilot. The system was successfully flight tested at Thirsk Airfield and the team presented their findings at the Best of UCLAN Showcase event, held on 19th November 2015. Post NATEP, further work is required to develop the capabil-ity into a working product which can be commercialised, however the work done within the NATEP funded project has been very successful.

Flight Guardian being installed

Flight Guardian in flight

NATEP at Farnborough

Farnborough International Air Show is always a good opportunity to see demonstrated the capability of companies in the supply chain. A number of companies that are involved in NATEP projects have already confirmed their attendance at the show; this is an ideal opportunity to talk to them directly about their new technologies.

Hyde Aero Projects are leading on NATEP project Cryogenic Research of Efficiency on Structural Titanium (C.R.E.S.T.) and will be exhibiting with the NWAA on stand B140 in Hall 1. The project aims to determine and understand the benefits of Cryogenic rough machining strategies when applied to prismatic Titanium Structural Airframe components in comparison to the traditional emulsion application. Working with partners Walter GB Ltd, Starrag UK Ltd, and with the support of BAE SYSTEMS, Hyde are looking to enhance the affordability of titanium machining in the UK.

Valuechain.com will also be exhibiting with the NWAA and this is a great opportunity to talk to the team about how they are working with Bombardier, Stainless Plating Ltd and Alloy Heat Treatments on improving the service levels, productivity and competitiveness of special process house across aerospace and other sectors.

The Valuechain.com Team


Introducing the NATEP North West Regional Advisory Panel

Mick CarlisleRolls-Royce PLC Chief of Commodity Strategy, Structure & Transmission

Iain MintonAircelle UK Research and Technology Director

Martin BurnhamIIDEA UKOwner

Ian EavesBusiness Development Director

Billy BeggsUCLanEngineering Innovation Manager

Phil CochraneBAE SystemsIndustry Capability Procurement Supply Chain Engineering Manager

Glyn WilliamsMarshall’s Aerospace & Defence GroupChief Engineer

Costas SoutisUMARIDirector

NATEP NEWS

General InformationThe National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) is a £40m Technology Development Programme Derived from a bid by the Aerospace Growth Partnership to the Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, administered by Finance Birmingham. NATEP is primarily aimed at small and medium sized suppliers to help them develop their own innovative technologies to enhance their capabilities and increase their ability to win new business with higher tier companies anywhere in the world. Programme managed by ADS and delivered regionally by the members of the Federation of Aerospace Alliances, NATEP will support the development of at least 100 projects, creating and safeguarding 1200 jobs in the UK Aerospace supply chain.

Coming Up:

Following on from the successful NATEP Showcase event held at the MTC in November, there will be a series of further events organised around all of the regions aimed at disseminating the results of the projects funded though NATEP. Further information will be available on the NWAA website www.aerospace.co.uk and on the NATEP website www.NATEP.org.uk

For more information about NATEP, please contact the NWAA industry Liaison Manager Sally Giles on 01772 648800 or email [email protected]

Denzil Lawrence

Simon WadeyAIRBUS UK

Michael AndreaeSigma ComponentsDirector of Technology & Improvement

Chris BradfordRolls-Royce PLCChief of Capability Aquisition Installations SCU

NATEP showcase event

Magnesium Elektron, Mettis Aerospace and Kenard Engineering have all been working on the Featherlite Aircraft Seat project, funded in call 2. The NATEP involvement in this exciting project, which has demonstrated significant weight saving through the use of magnesiumin aircraft interiors, ends in March 2016, but all 3 companies will be at Farnborough demonstrating their improved capabilities as a result of this project on their own stands.

Hexcel Composites Limited, who are working on the Low Mass Composite tooling project are also confirmed as exhibitors. Led by NWAA membership company KAMAN Tooling Limited, the project is seeking to design and test a proof of concept Low Mass Composite mould tool. Together with Kaman Composites Limited, Hexcel Composites Limited and TenCate Composites Limited, and the support of BAE SYSTEMS, the project outcome is to understand the potential savings available to composite component manufacturing though the use of low mass tooling.

Dominic Henry from Magnesium Elektron discussing the Featherlite project

NATEP showcase event


NWAA NEWS

New Talent Awards Winners 2015

Winner - Aiva Melngaile from Safran Aircelle with sponsor Neville Gee Recruitment

Innovation Prize Winner - Alex Todd from Paradigm Prescision Ltd with sponsor Hyde Group

Isle of Man Airospace Cluster

Professional Excellence Winner - Harry Ingle from Hycrome Ltd with sponsor Safran Aircelle

Guest Speaker - Wg Cdr Martin Higgins Officer Commanding of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic

team

Guest Speaker - Ryan Worthington from Rolls Royce

Professional Excellence Winner - Ashley Howard from Isle of Man College of Further Education with sponsor Safran Aircelle

Business University Challenge Winning Team - Hycrome Ltd

Employer & Training Provider Winner - Paradigm Precision Ltd

One To Watch Winner - Jack Stezaker from BAE Systems, award sponsor AGP ESP

Runner Up - Megan Wilcock from Rolls Royce with sponsor IET


NWAA NEWS

New Talent Awards Winners 2015Emerging newAerospaceTalent Honouredat NWAAAwardsThe North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) held their annual New Talent Awards on the 3rd March 2016 recognising and rewarding the achievements of young apprentices and emerging talent from the North West of England’s aerospace and defence industry.

The first of the evenings Guest Speakers, Ryan Worthington from Rolls Royce; was a previous winner of the One to Watch award and spoke about how the confidence gained from entering the NTA’s had encouraged him to enterthe UK World Skills National Final and come away with the Gold Medal in CNC.

Wg Cdr Martin Higgins Officer Commanding of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic team, gave an inspiring speech about the team work required by the whole team to deliver the renown Red Arrow display. He encouraged the importance of innovation especially when dealing with 40 year old planes.

The ceremony, held at the prestigious Imperial War Museum North, Manchester; saw awards handed out

to the region’s best young talent. The WINNER of this years award for the North West’s Best Aerospace& Defence Apprentice, along with the £1000 prize kindly sponsored byrecruitment consultants Neville Gee, was Aiva Melngaile from Safran Aircelle. The runner-up prize, sponsored by the IET (Instituteof Engineering and Technology), was awarded to Megan Wilcock from Rolls Royce.

Jack Stezaker from BAE Systems carried off the One to Watch trophy, sponsored by AGP ESP (EmployerSkills Programmes), while ParadigmPrecision Ltd scooped the Employer& Training Provider prize sponsored byPreston’s College.

The Innovation Award, sponsored by Hyde Group, went to Alex Todd from Paradigm Precision Ltd. This award is about recognising anindividual who through their innovative thinking and outstanding engineering skills has brought successful change to the business.

NWAA’s Business University Challenge aims to bring business apprentices, university and college students together to compete head-to-head in a seriesof challenges to test their negotiation, innovation, communication and

presenting skills.

Twelve teams of young people fromNorth West universities, colleges andaerospace businesses competed forthe title at Preston’s College in January.Hycrome Europe Ltd were revealed as the winning team and presented with£1,500 prize money sponsored bythe Royal Aeronautical Society and atrophy presented by Wincanton. TwoProfessional Excellence awards, each with £200 prize money and sponsored by Safran Aircelle, were presented to Harry Ingle from Hycrome Europe Ltd and Ashley Howard from Isle of Man College of Further & Higher Education who both displayed outstanding leadership and performance during the Business UniversityChallenge.

David Bailey, Chief Executive Officer at NWAA, said: “The New Talent Awards has become a key event for the North West’s Aerospace and Defence Sector. It is important that we continue to recognise and reward the achievements of the of the talent emerging in our industry. It is hugely important to our industry that we increase the numbers of talented young people into apprenticeships to plug the skills gap that threatens our ability to achieve the growth the aerospace market is experiencing.”


NWAA NEWS

The New Talent Award Winners 2015

Award Name Company Sponsor

Winner Aiva Melngaile Safran Aircelle Neville Gee

Runner Up Megan Wilcock Rolls RoyceIET Insitute of Engineeringand Technology

One To Watch Jack Stezaker BAE Systems AGP ESP Employer Skills Programme

Employer & TrainingProvider Prize - Paradigm Precision Ltd Preston’s College

Innovation Prize Alex Todd Paradigm Precision Ltd Hyde Group

Professional ExcellenceHarry Ingle Hycrome Ltd Safran Aircelle

Ashley Howard Isle of Man College of Further Education Safran Aircelle

Business University Winning Team

Ben Clarke Hycrome Ltd Wincanton & RaS

Connor Tattersall Hycrome Ltd Wincanton & RaS

Harry Ingle Hycrome Ltd Wincanton & RaS

Business University 2nd Place Runner Up Team

Matthew Gnzalez-Green Nelson & Colne College Royal Aeronautical Society

Megan Wilcock Nelson & Colne College Royal Aeronautical Society

Phillip Whiteside Nelson & Colne College Royal Aeronautical Society

Business University 3rd Place Runner Up team

Abbey Berry MBDA UK Ltd Royal Aeronautical Society

James Flemming MBDA UK Ltd Royal Aeronautical Society

Lucy Thompson MBDA UK Ltd Royal Aeronautical Society

Commended Winners

Alex Heywood MBDA Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Alexandrea Monkiewicz BAE Systems Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Craig Eccles Paradigm Precision Ltd Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Daniel Catlow Swagelok Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Greg Purdy Magellan Aerospace Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

John Taylor BAE Systems Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Kurtis Prydderech Magellan Aerospace Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Laura Hall BAE Sytems Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Leigh Clarke Magellan Aerospace Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Ryan Fisher Magellan Aerospace Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Sam Hart FE Robinson Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster

Event sponsors - MBDA The NWAA Team


NWAA NEWS

Annual Conference2016

Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Thursday 12th of May 2016

TICKETS NOW ON SALESee our website for details:

http://www.aerospace.co.uk/events/160512-nwaa-annual-conference

Platinum Sponsor:

Photo Courtsey of The Dunkenhalgh Hotel

Manufacturing, Technology, Supply Chain and Skills

Confirmed Speakers Include:

Andy Moran -Head of Airbus Supplier Development | Dr Michele Lawty-Jones - Lancashire Skills Hub Director Lancashire County Council | Nick Hussey - Managing Director - The Manufacturer Magazine | Colin Turner - Strategic Sourcing Director, Agusta Westland | Clive Lewis - Managing Partner - Achieving The Difference LLP

Silver Sponsor:Gold Sponsors:


NWAA NEWS

Looking ahead to Farnborough Airshow 2016Farnborough airshow has long been considered one of the world’s leading aerospace events and is core to many aerospace companies’ sales and marketing strategy. The 2014 event saw the sum of orders and commitments reach US $201bn, beating all previous records set for the show. Over 1,500 exhibitors took part with over 100,000 visitors attending, across the 5 trade days.

For Farnborough 2016 NWAA has a new stand, which will be at Hall 1, B140. Our new stand builds on the success of the one we had at Paris by maintaining its bold colours and sleek style, but will now have more Booths and PODS for our members to hire for use at the show.

NWAA Members who will be exhibiting on the NWAA stand in 2016, to date include:

Hurst Green Plastics (Booth 1)Hurst Green Plastics Ltd supply many world class organisations with their unique and innovative kanban storage and dispensing systems for fasteners and other small parts.

Isle of Man Cluster (Booth 2)The Isle of Man is host to one of the most agile and dynamic clusters of aerospace and engineering companies in and around the UK region.

C.G. Tech (Booth 3)CGTech is the developer of VERICUT® CNC Machine Simulation, Verification and Optimisation software. VERICUT protects CNC machine tools against potentially disastrous collisions by providing a virtual machining environment for program simulation and testing of post processed CNC code. CGTech also offers programming and simulation software for the rapidly growing CNC Composites Automated Fibre placement market.

P. P. Group (Booth 4)The P.P. Group of Companies began life in the basement of a cotton milland has grown into one of the UK’s leading profiling and processing

companies. The P.P. Group provides diverse, high-quality profiling, processing and manufacturing services across a vast range of industries. Our commitment to innovative technology and machinery, partnered with some of the most knowledgeable and experienced employees, has earned us an outstanding reputation for reliability and honest service.

There are four divisions that make up the P.P. Group: P.P. Plasma, P.P. Profiles, P.P. Protube and P.P. Processing. To conclude, we are AS 9100 Rev C certified.

Produmax (Booth 6)Produmax are a high precisionsub-contract engineering company who have been supplying high quality machined components and assemblies for over 40 years. The success of Produmax has been as a result of prudent investment in state of the art CNC machinery including 5 Axis milling and 14 Axis turning centres. The company has a highly skilled and stable workforce working to an IS0 approved quality system since 1988.


NWAA NEWS

Marposs Ltd (POD 1 & 2)Marposs has many years experience in the design and manufacture of tooling, fixtures, machine monitoring systems and automatic inspection machines that perform checks on specific parts, used on aeronautics and space sectors. Measuring components, masters and electronics used in the equipment are 100% manufactured by Marposs, giving us control over the quality and integrity of the essential building blocks of the equipment. Marposs systems are used for assembly, final inspection and MRO of almost every modern aircraft engine manufactured (e.g.: CFM56 (GE/Snecma), GE90 (for Boeing 777), GP7000 (for Airbus A380), Silvercrest, LEAP-X). Over the last few decades, we have supplied thousands of gauging/tools systems to customers worldwide; the most of any gauge manufacturer in the world. Aerospace Industries and their subcontractors can find at Marposs a full range of measuring / testing equipment to help with manufacturing and assembling their products.

Granada Material Handling Ltd (POD 3)Granada Material Handling Ltd design, manufacture and install standard and bespoke overhead travelling crane systems and associated structural steelwork.

Woodford Engineering (POD 4)WEC was formed in 2008 to provide systems engineering services to the aerospace industry. The majority of employees have 20 to 40 years of experience in Mechanical, Electrical and Avionics Systems Engineering and Systems Safety departments at a local civil and military aircraft manufacturer.

Hardide (POD 5)Hardide Aerospace Coatings has developed a range of nano-structured tungsten carbide-based coatings that combine exceptional wear and corrosion resistance with toughness and ductility in one material. Applied by low temperature CVD, they can coat internal surfaces and complex geometries. Hardide-A is an environmentally compliant and technically comparable replacement for hard chrome plating providing enhanced protection against corrosion, chemically aggressive media, wear, galling, fretting and fatigue. No dimensional changes/re-design is necessary.

Broetje Automation (POD 8)Broetje-Automation is one of the world’s leading experts for production processes in the aviation and aerospace industry. Our UK team based in Chester plans and implements highly-efficient solutions for aircraft assembly.

SGS Carbide Tool (UK) Ltd (POD 17)SGS Carbide Tool offers standard and bespoke precision solid carbide rotary cutting tools to leading market sectors, including aerospace.

Hyde Group (POD 18)Hyde have a long standing commitment to customer focus, with our state of the art design, tooling & manufacturing capabilities, which include AOG service 24/7/365, Assemblies, Fabrication, Welding & X-Ray, Drop Hammer, Machining up to 7 Axis, heat & surface treatments and project management all this allied with a proven track record in low cost sourcing firmly establishes our place among the global supply chain.

Heller Machine Tools Ltd (POD 19)Heller Machine Tools has produced high quality machines and delivered complex projects from its Midlands facility in Redditch for over 40 years.

Other members also at the airshow will be: Valuechain (Booth 5) & Tecomet (POD 9), Lancashire County Council (PODS 14 &15), Grob Machine Tools UK Ltd (POD 16) (company BIO not available at time of print)

Contact us now, last two pods available!! Speak to Sharon or Claire today on:

01772 648800 for details


MEMBER NEWS

TRIPLE AWARDS FOR A&G PRECISION AND SONS LTD.

A&G PRECISION AND SONS LTD are proud to have become Triple Award Winners in the Industry Sector achieving the coveted SC21 Silver Award, the North West Regional Apprentice Employer of the year award in the SME category and One of the UK’s Top 100 Apprentice Employers in all employment sectors.

A&G have trained 16 apprentices since 1991 and have full retention of past apprentices with 6 now part of the Management Team. The Company philosophy underpins the apprenticeship training programme and has increasingly become the mainstay of long term high quality skills development. A&G are committed to taking the business to a new level within the industry and are offering four new apprentice training place initially for the next three

years. By offering open evenings and attending school job fairs A&G are aiming to raise the profile of Precision Engineering to an awareness that it is in fact a clean, interesting and safe working environment, a high tech growing industry offering young people a range of worthwhile education opportunities and potentially a career path for life.

A&G are keen to promote further skills training and education beyond the initial craft apprenticeship should the candidate demonstrate ability and interest in further progression through the engineering training programs.

A&G have invested in apprentice training at an increasing rate recognising that the long term benefits of family and loyalty to our business from this skills growth creation in a rural environment has increased our potential to deliver increased volume to our customers.

A&G are actively involved in the community and recently had a visit from our local MP who together with Rt. Hon. Ian Duncan Smith Secretary of State for Works and Pensions spent the afternoon at A&G discussing the

company plans with special reference to our apprenticeship programme A&G have been progressively improving the business by being actively involved in continuous improvement programmes for the past five years, supported by the OEM,s and working closely with the NWAA, on their Achieving Supply Chain Excellence programmes, ASCE 1 AND ASCE 2.

Initial improvement plans were developed from the results of the external benchmarking activities and the detailed feedback reports using the “five steps Learner to World Class Model, following this success the next natural step was SC21”. A&G signed up to the SC21 program on the 22 May 2015. The close synergy with the ASCE and SC21 processes and structured approach enabled the transition to the SC 21 Manufacturing Excellence and Business Excellence evaluation process to be relatively straight forward. This assessment together with the development of our on-going Continuous Sustainable Improvement Plan forms the mainstay of our future business success at A&G. Im

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MEMBER NEWS

Planning and Scheduling – an Art or a Science?As the first (and only) training organisation accredited by the APMG to deliver their new Project Planning and Control™ (PPC) qualification, Training ByteSize has seen learners questioning the differences and relationships between planning and scheduling in the engineering workspace.

Whilst the distinction should be clear, historical job titles can lead to uncertainty: many expert schedulers, possibly working within sophisticated project support departments, are working under the title of ‘Project Planner’. It is easy to see the confusion – perhaps they should be known as ‘Project Scheduler’? Project planning is not the same thing as scheduling!Planning - considered to be more of an art than a science - determines, amongst other things, what the project is attempting to achieve and the requirements needed to achieve these objectives.

Scheduling - considered to be more of a science than an art - introduces a timeline of activities based on duration estimates, activity dependencies and constraints.

However, it is certainly fair to say that planning may require some science, and scheduling may require some art! Insufficient attention to planning will make scheduling subject to unacceptable levels of change. Inaccurate scheduling could see deliverables not produced in line with agreed requirements, or that progress monitoring will be meaningless.

Aerospace is an industry with one of the most highly trained workforces, and is well-placed to reap the benefits of up-skilling teams in planning, scheduling, monitoring and control.

With the global demand for civil aircraft continuing to grow by 5% year on year, organisations that aspire to keep improving quality – and the tools needed

to achieve it - benefit financially in the short, medium and long term. Training Bytesize would be happy to assist any business in the journey with a PPC qualification scheme, and NWAA members can enjoy significant training discounts.

For more information, pleasevisit www.trainingbytesize.com. Or contact Lauren Tudoron 01270 626330 or email [email protected] more details.

Project Planning & Control™ is a trademark ofAPM Group Ltd.

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ISLE OF MAN NEWS

Island engineering students shine in leading UK competition Three engineering students represented the Isle of Man College of Further & Higher Education at the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) ‘Business University Challenge’ competition in Preston in January.

The competition tested a wide range of skills through challenges ranging from negotiation through to engineering aptitude through the construction of a tower using only pasta and tape!

The Isle of Man team consisted of Daniel Catlow, Ashley Howard & Chris Killey, all of whom work for

Swagelok. This was the first year that a team from the Isle of Man had gained entry to the competition and they performed really well against teams from some of the biggest UK companies such as BAe systems and Rolls Royce.

Ashley received a commendation at the NWAA event for his notable performance and will now be invited, alongside Dan, the current Isle of Man Engineering Apprentice of the Year, to represent the Island at the NWAA Talent Awards in March at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester.

Gail Corrin, Programme Manager for Higher Education at Isle of Man College of Further & Higher Education said:

‘Daniel, Ashley and Chris represented an outstanding group of students currently undertaking a BEng Manufacturing Engineering at the College, in partnership with the University of Chester. We are thrilled but not surprised that they did so well in the NWAA Business University Challenge.

‘ There are many benefits in studying for a degree on island at the College, especially when combined with a high level of employer support as is the case with Swagelok – but it is essential that our students also gain off island experience and prestigious events such as this enable them to do this. Congratulations all round.’

Adrian Moore, Chair of the Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster added:

“It’s very encouraging to see the high levels of performance that our engineering students are achieving. The future is very bright for careers in manufacturing in the Isle of Man with long order books and significant investment being put into developing a new generation of local engineers.”

From left to right: Chris Killey, Ashley Howard & Daniel Catlow of Swagelok.

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ISLE OF MAN NEWS

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rIsle of Man forging closer ties with the NorthThe success of the Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster in working with the North West Aerospace Alliance has helped to encourage further engagement between the Isle of Man and the North of England.

Northern England has always been important to the economic wellbeing of the Isle of Man, in addition to our geographical and historical connections and the Isle of Man also contributes tens of millions of pounds to the economy of the North in a variety of ways.

We have key transport links to the North West with the vast majority of our residents travelling to the UK

arriving at either Liverpool or Heysham if travelling by sea, or at Liverpool or Manchester if travelling by air. Although some travel onwards to other destinations, many stay to enjoy the region in a number of ways – to have a weekend break, take in a show or watch a football match for example.This year the Isle of Man’s Government is striving to develop ever closer ties and was well represented at the Northern Powerhouse conference in February.

Minister for Economic Development Laurence Skelly attended the Leaders’ Dinner and Department of Economic Development CEO, Chris Corlett took part in a panel event at the Conference outlining how the Isle of Man can be an effective partner to the region in helping attract new Foreign Direct Investment.

This year the Isle of Man will be very visible across the region but especially in the North West. It will be represented at the International Festival of Business in Liverpool

throughout June and July following the success that it encountered at the last event in 2014.

There are also a wide number of smaller events, hosted by the Isle of Man Government, that are planned for 2016. One of the talking points at these events is bound to be the new Enterprise Development Scheme (EDS). A total of £50 million will be available over a 5 year period to invest in businesses that seek to create jobs on the Island, with funding including grants, loans and equity.

Together with the Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster’s presence at the Farnborough Airshow 2016 as part of the NWAA’s stand, 2016 is looking like a good year to engage with the Isle of Man!


MEMBER NEWS

CGTech Opens New Office in South KoreaCGTech, the developer of VERICUT CNC verification and simulation software, is pleased to announce the formation of a subsidiary company in South Korea. Headquartered south of Seoul, the company (CGTech-Korea) is responsible for marketing, sales, technical support, and reseller support throughout South Korea. “CGTech is committed to customer success around the world, as

demonstrated by our continued investment in local offices for direct sales and support,” said Jon Prun, President of CGTech. “There is a growing demand for simulation of complex machine tools and CGTech is well positioned to provide manufacturers with the skills and technologies they need to be successful.”

In conjunction with the opening of the office, CGTech has released a website in Korean: http://vericut.co.kr/ “This office is a real benefit for our existing South Korean customers. It strengthens our position as the

worldwide leader in NC simulation, verification, and optimisation technologies,” said Prun. The office is located at 505, Daerung Techno Town 15-Cha 401, Simin-daero, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.

For more information, visit the CGTech website at www.cgtech.co.uk, call +44 (0)1273 773538, or email [email protected]

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NWAA Member APPAvailable in the Android and Apple Store to download


MEMBER NEWS

Buck & Hickman “PPE cost savings can be achieved without compromising on protection”With aerospace procurement managers constantly tasked with decreasing spend and finding enhanced value for money, Mark Howarth, Health and Safety Category Manager at Buck & Hickman, looks at best practice surrounding the selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and explains how it is still possible to achieve cost savings while maintaining correct protection for employees.

In a typical manufacturing environment, workers will require a variety of PPE to guard against occupational hazards. Under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at work regulations 1999, it is the employer’s responsibility to not only provide PPE, but to ensure its workers are properly trained in its use – all of which adds up to a considerable but

unavoidable expense, however these costs can be safely reduced.

The first stage in rationalising the use of PPE, with a view to identifying cost saving opportunities, is in the specification of the correct equipment. PPE is frequently over-specified, with the maximum level of protection often selected regardless of the hazard. In reality, what is appropriate in one section of an aerospace manufacturing facility may be excessive or even unnecessary in a lower-risk area.

One of the most frequent reasons given for the non-use of PPE is that they are not compatible with the other protection the user must wear. Incompatible PPE is not only less likely to be worn, with users removing items in frustration creating a safety risk, but may also be more susceptible to damage.

It is important to note that a higher cost is not always indicative of a greater level of protection. Q-Safe, a comprehensive range of PPE exclusive to Buck & Hickman, has achieved CE marking for all its products and is compliant with all relevant European health & safety and quality standards. The range comprises more than 80 different products, covering head, hand, eye, ear and respiratory protection as well as short-life clothing including coveralls, overshoes and

aprons.

Once the correct PPE has been supplied to properly-trained employees, it is important to ensure the continuation of safe working habits. One way to help monitor this is through the use of industrial vending systems, such as Buck & Hickman’s Invend™ service, which provide complete visibility over the use of PPE.

Invend™ is an industrial vending service which can dispense a wide range of industrial consumables including PPE. As well as offering 24 hour access and automatic restocking thanks to an in-built reordering system, its controlled access function means individuals can only access products deemed suitable for their roles. The service not only provides health and safety managers with peace of mind staff are using the correct equipment, but also creates a useful audit trail of issued health & safety items, cutting down on overuse of reusable items and the associated costs.

For further information on Q-Safe, Invend™ or the PPE selection and training services available from Buck & Hickman, please visit www. buckandhickmanuk.com

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MEMBER NEWS

Aerospace toolmaker moves to PowerMILL to remove programming bottleneckG. Parker Aero Tooling Solutions, a rapidly expanding aerospace toolmaker, has changed to Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM software to remove a programming bottleneck that was limiting the company’s productivity.

The company, which has been based in Accrington for over forty years, produces a wide range of tooling for the aerospace industry. It has been closely involved in designing and manufacturing tooling for many of the world’s most prestigious aircraft programmes, including all Airbus platforms, plus the Eclipse and Honda VLJ programmes.

“We have ten machines, including

several five-axis machining centres, all demanding programs,” said Mr. Parker. “We were experiencing a serious bottleneck with our machining software as we couldn’t supply toolpaths quickly enough.”

Mr. Parker investigated a number of alternative CAM programs before deciding on PowerMILL. The software provided a complete machining package that covers all the bases for the range of projects at G. Parker Aero Tooling Solutions, plus the price was very competitive. In addition, the company was already using Delcam’s PowerINSPECT inspection software and had been impressed with both the software and the support provided.

Even though the staff have only been using PowerMILL for a few months, the effects have been dramatic. “We have effectively doubled our programming capacity with PowerMILL because the software is so much easier to use,” reported Mr. Parker.

“The calculation times are around 25% faster, which, along with the ease of use, means we can generate programs more quickly,” added Craig Cooke, Production Manager. “Stock models are much easier to use in PowerMILL so we are able to reduce air cutting

and shorten machining times with rest machining. The surface finish we get now is very good; it is extremely smooth with no faceting. This has reduced polishing time by an average of 20%.”

The productivity boost from introducing PowerMILL has come at an important time for G. Parker Aero Tooling Solutions. “Business is pretty good,” claimed Mr. Parker. “We already have enough projects lined up to make 2016 a better year than 2015. We have plans to add more five-axis machines as they always seem to be fully booked and we will be recruiting two more apprentices. Extra training is also planned for the existing staff so we are able to take on more projects.”

For further information on Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM software, please contact: -Peter Dickin, Marketing ManagerDirect phone: 0121 683 1081 e-mail: [email protected]

Photo Caption: All machines at G. Parker Aero Tooling Solutions are now programmed with Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM software

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MEMBER NEWS

Versatile Guyson Blast CabinetGuyson International has been manufacturing blast cabinets since 1938 and this latest ‘Euroblast Plus’ variation of their longstanding, premier quality, manual Euroblast® cabinet takes some beating for versatility and features as it is equipped with a variable speed tumble basket, a turntable flush-fitting with the surrounding cabinet floor and dual blast guns that can be operated either separately or together.

Often a customer wants more than a standard blast cabinet configuration and this combination of a manual cabinet for general blast finishing, coupled with the facility to carry out periodic automatic batch deburring or surface finishing of hundreds of small components is a popular request. Thus Guyson has developed the Euroblast Plus, saving customers from having to purchase two separate cabinets and with the added benefit of saving on floor space.

This latest Guyson Euroblast Plus 6SF (Suction Fed) blast cabinet was recently

installed into a French manufacturing company and was chosen specifically because it offered the customer a separate tumble basket allowing for its low volumes of specialist aerospace fasteners to be surface finished for differing times and at variable basket rotational speeds - according to the component coverage required.

When operating in automatic tumble blast mode an internal protective safety guard covers the manual access armholes, to prevent anyone putting their hands inside the blast cabinet when the basket is rotating, and safety interlocks prevent access doors being opened.

A control panel on the back of the cabinet houses all the machine electrics and the variable speed controller, whilst a small separate control panel on the outside of the right hand door houses the basket timer and an Andon beacon - to indicate clearly when the tumble blasting cycle has finished.

This option of a flush fitting turntable, level with the internal floor, allows the customer to manually rotate their components for an even coverage, whilst they are being bead blasted inside the blast chamber. The turntable also makes it much easier for the operator to manoeuver the parts inside the cabinet if these are heavy or too cumbersome on

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lThe cabinet is equipped with two Guyson Model 900 blast guns which can be selected, via a lever on the side leg of the cabinet, to be blasting in tandem or individually - depending on blast coverage required whilst using the tumble basket. When using the cabinet as a straightforward manual blast system just one of the blast guns is selected for use and is either held in the operator’s hand or can be placed in a separate gun holder thus allowing both hands free to manipulate components under the blast stream. A trigger-operated air blow-off is also included to remove any residual powder dust from the components after blasting.

Completing this Euroblast Plus blast system configuration is the Guyson C400 cartridge dust collector, equipped with reverse compressed air pulse cleaning of the filters.

For further information about the diverse range of Guyson blast cabinets available or to undertake free component trials on your components please contact Guyson’s Customer Service Department on 01756 799911.


MEMBER NEWS

The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for UK Aerospace Manufacturers.

Proven gains in productivity of up to 30% in one year!

Aerospace Customers: GKN Aerospace | Hyde Aerospace | MTU Aero Engines | Pratt & Whitney

FORCAM UK Ltd | +44 (0) 1606 833837 | www.forcam.com

New Insize 2016 Catalogue Out Now Cutwel, the leading UK & Ireland tooling supplier, have released a new 2016 catalogue for theirmajor measuring tool supplier Insize. The new catalogue is packed full of the latest measuring tooltechnology and offers a premium economy range that can be used in both shop floor andinspection departments.

The Insize range includes a huge range of smaller Instruments such as Calipers, Micrometers, DialIndicators and various gauges to larger measuring systems such as profile projectors, digitalmicroscopes, height gauges and

roughness testers. The majority of Insize products are supplied witha 12 month warranty and manufacturers inspection certificate, traceable to DKD (Germany).

The catalogue is available from March 2016 so please request your hard copy today and contact Cutwel on 01924 869 660 or email them at [email protected] Alternatively you can view the full catalogue in a PDF format at www.cutwel.co.ukIm

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MEMBER NEWS

Providing cutting tools for multiple materials and applications is a key focus for Dormer Pramet.

This objective is typified by the company’s range of solid carbide end mills, which are suitable for the most popular operations. This includes slotting, side and face milling, ramping and copy milling in a wide range of materials.

Its S8 and S9 assortments, marketed under the Dormer brand, have for many years provided a reliable and competitive milling option for common applications. The ranges include different shank styles, flute options, cut lengths and surface finishes, including bright and coated alternatives.

Both feature a corner chamfer and modified end teeth geometry for multiple applications and materials.

To support this assortment, Dormer

Pramet has recently added more than 40 new solid carbide cutters. This not only increases the range of applications covered to encompass roughing, super finishing and deep milling, but also includes material specific cutters.

A large share of the new assortment comes from the S2 and S7 milling families.

Dormer’s S7 program further expands the multi-material milling options, while the S2 range extends the support to cover difficult to machine materials.

For example, the S7 cutters bring a differential pitch option, delivering reduced chatter, maximising swarf removal at high feed rates.

It offers a variety of diameters, in short to extra-long lengths, numerous flute options, a range of coatings, as well as roughing profile and corner radii options.

Dormer Pramet recently expanded this range even further with the introduction of the S713 and S716. These new cutters feature square corners to offer the user one tool capable of both roughing and finishing.

The S2 family includes all the benefits of the S7 range, with the addition of a variety of neck options for deep milling and multi-flute options for improved finishing in high strength steels and difficult to machine materials.

To find out more about the Dormer Pramet range of solid carbide milling cutters please visit www.dormerpramet.com or contact your local Dormer Pramet sales office.

Pictured: Dormer has an extensive range of solid carbide milling cutters.

Multi-milling options made easy

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MEMBER NEWS

A new technology at Thomas Brown Engineering – the Visual FAIR Digital Pen & PaperFirst Article Inspection Reporting has been an important tool within our inspection department for a few years now. It has enhanced and simplified our inspection process and has become an important part of managing our quality and maintaining our AS9100c accreditation on a daily basis. It is now a vital requirement for many of our customers. A recent addition to our Visual FAIR software is a simple but amazingly efficient and accurate Digital Pen & Paper. This is a unique technology which makes the familiar

act of writing First Article results with a pen on paper into a powerful tool which makes data capture more efficient and less susceptible to error.

The Digital Pen & Paper allows our inspectors to manually collect results using the pen onto dimensional forms printed on paper with a unique fingerprint to the specific job at hand. The technology then imports the results directly into the FAIR software via the electronic pen, simultaneously populating any required forms such as AS9102 dimensional reports or batch data collection forms. These dimensional reports can then be tailored to meet any specific customer requirements.

The process is user friendly, efficient and has a built in mistake proofing system which allows the user to check a box for pass or fail. This pass or fail result when analysed by the software is compared to the feature requirement that has been programmed in Visual FAIR. A result that is out of tolerance, but has been checked pass, will automatically be rejected. The system also records the time and date of each

pen stroke thus allowing an accurate record of inspection for each and every component.

We have had good feedback from our customers who have witnessed the technology and seen the benefits it can offer it terms of accurate inspection reporting.

For more information please contact Tom Brown: [email protected]

WWW.THOMAS-BROWN-ENGINEERING.CO.UK

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FRANKE BEARINGS IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRYFranke bearings are used across the Aerospace industry in jigs, fixtures & tooling, where light weight zero maintenance rotary & linear bearings are required. In Aero engine repair where compact high accuracy wire race bearings are used & in airborne radars, avionics & camera systems where

light-weight aluminium bearing elements are essential & in cabin areas where our aluminium linear bearing systems offer weight saving over steel systems. Aluminium, Carbon fibre, & plastics replace traditional steel bearing systems, Slim bearings & wire race bearing elements offer significant space savings & aluminium rotary & linear bearing

systems give over 60% weight savings compared to traditional bearing systems. The next step for Franke? 3D printed aluminium bearings are already in development & will offer even greater weight savings & the possibilities for truly bespoke products designed exactly to suit your application.

For more details please visit www.franke-gmbh.com or call us on 01772 780200

MEMBER NEWS

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SAVE THE DATE

Save the DateThe NWAA have a number of events coming up in 2016!

Express NewsCopy DeadlinesFor members wanting to share news.

Mar

24

Apr

21

Express News Copy Deadline.T: 01772 648813E: [email protected]



Summer Plane Talk Copy Deadline

For members wanting to share news.

May

9

Summer Plane Talk Copy Deadline.T: 01772 648813E: [email protected]

Apr

26

Joint Member Forum AMRC & NWAAAMRC, RotherhamT: 01772 648822E: [email protected]

May

12

NWAA Annual ConferenceThe Dunkenhalgh Hotel, BlackburnT: 01772 648822E: [email protected]

Additive Manufacturing Europe, held on 28th-30th June 2016 RAI Amsterdam, is a new show, organized by Tarsus. The entire spectrum of additive manufacturing and 3D printing equipment will be on show, with live demonstrations of working machinery a cornerstone of the event. In terms of sectors, the focus will be on healthcare, aerospace and automotive.

Additive Manufacturing Europe is the only pan-European business-to-business show of its kind, hosting exhibitors and visitors from around the world to facilitate successful business exchange.

As part of the new show, there will also be a 3D Printshow pavilion, focusing on design and prototyping. This will continue to attract the designers and innovators that are driving development and innovation in the industry.

Conferences will run alongside the trade shows, with dedicated streams for the vertical sectors.

Please visit the show website for more information: http://www.amshow-europe.com

July

11 - 17

Farnborough International Air ShowFarnboroughT: 01772 648822E: [email protected]

Oct

7

NWAA Annual Aerospace BallThe Dunkenhalgh Hotel, BlackburnT: 01772 648822E: [email protected]

Dec

5

AGM and Winter ForumVenue: The Best Western Hotel, LeylandT: 01772 648822E: [email protected]

May

19

Annual Aerospace Ball October 7th 2016

Watch this space, further details coming soon!


MEMBER NEWS

The BoardKeith Harrison

SilcomsDeputy Chairman01204 466070

Ray MaddisonT&R Precision Engineers

LtdDeputy Chairman01282 862116

Steve VandersteenBAE Systems

Director01254 768030

Syd CarsonMorson Projects

Director0161 707 1516

Norman ThompsonAirbusDirector

01244 520444

Sharon McDonaldNWAA

Company Secretary01772 648822

Anthony HammondHyde Group


Martin KellyLancashire County

CouncilDirector

01772 534172

Mark ProckterRolls-Royce


Richard AinscoughPM+MDirector

01254 679131

GKN Aerospace signs new five year contract with Velocity Composites Velocity Composites Ltd announces the signing of a new contract that will see them supply aerospace manufacturer GKN Aerospace with structural plies for the next five years.

The aerospace composite kitting solution provider, which has its headquarters in Lancashire, will supply structural cut composite shapes and plies to support GKN Aerospace’s programmes for the A350 XWB aircraft. Velocity will begin to supply GKN Aerospace’s Western Approach facility from January 2016.The two firms already have a strong working relationship with Velocity having supplied GKN Aerospace’s Luton facility for the last seven years. This latest contract strengthens links between Velocity and GKN Aerospace - Western Approach, which Velocity has been supplying for the

last 18 months.

Velocity Composites’ Managing Director Darren Ingram said:

“This contract with GKN Aerospace - Western Approach is the first step in Velocity’s new strategic alliance with them. Naturally we’re delighted and look forward to continuing a successful working relationship as we support their delivery demands against the A350 XWB programme. Positive discussions are ongoing between ourselves and GKN Aerospace around the potential for Velocity to open a third site in the Severn Beach area of Bristol. It’s another chapter in Velocity’s growth as we continue to build key relationships with multinational aerospace manufacturers and strengthen our position as a leading supply chain company.”

To find out more about Velocity Composites, visit www.velocity-composites.com.

Victoria FoyAIRCELLEDirector

01282 419329

North West Aerospace AllianceUnits 9 & 10 South Preston Office Village, Cuerden Way, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6BL

North West Aerospace Alliance ™North West Aerospace Alliance, NWAA and ASCE are all Trade Marks.

Tel: + 44 (0) 1772 648800

www.aerospace.co.uk

@NWAerospace

@takeoffnw

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