GEA Batesville: Clean as you go

The aerospace industry is extending vacuum capturing of dangerous dust (FOD) as a best practice to optimize operations. Aerospace manufacturers and MROs are increasingly adopting the clean as you go process - from composites to hexavalent chromium to cadmium, vacuum capture of FOD and particulates at the source is enhancing aircraft safety, quality, and production. GE Aviation’s Batesville, Miss., composites plant sought to proactively identify and reduce dust vital to quality manufacturing. GEA produces two composite parts for GE’s GEnx jet engine: Front fan platforms and the fan case assembly. GEnx is the first with composite fan blades, fan platforms, and fan case assemblies. After curing the material, there’s need to blend, smooth, and remove excess material using hand tools. “Our rule is to capture dust at the point it’s created,” said Curtis. The plant brings smaller composite parts inside a dust containment booth to finish them. But that’s not practical with larger composite components and that’s when using a tool shroud is “critical” since it becomes a dust containment booth. (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing and Design 03/2015)