Aerospace Industry
The aerospace industry is oriented by the production facilities of the major suppliers. Especially in the Metropolitan Region of Hamburg and Bremen-Oldenburg, an active network of suppliers has emerged.
The key spatial points in the aerospace supply industry sector lie at:
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Varel
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Nordenham
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Stade
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Buxtehude
Locations
Varel
Over 75 years have passed since the foundation of ‘Motorenwerk Varel’ and the site has evolved into a high-tech plant for the aviation industry that is second to none. With its present-day workforce of 1300, the plant is now part of Premium AEROTEC. Its machinery is the most advanced in Europe, producing highly complex machined components as well as turned and milled aluminium, steel and titanium parts for all Airbus airliners, the A400M military transporter and the Eurofighter.
Varel uses state-of-the-art five-axis machining centres to manufacture large and small parts. A high-precision ‘speedline’ ensures very short throughput times for urgent orders and spare parts that are required at short notice. Besides machining, assembly is also becoming increasingly important. In addition to the assemblies produced today, the Varel plant is responsible for assembling the passenger and cargo door frames and the floor grid for the A350 XWB. Another pillar is the production systems field, which produces complex manufacturing and assembly equipment – from the initial design to development, simulation, production, commissioning and customer support along the entire process chain.
The Varel engineers have considerable experience in the construction of models for high-speed and low-speed wind tunnel testing. The models they build in different take-off and landing configurations (e.g. wing flap positions) for all desired aircraft types are used to test aerodynamic behaviour during different flight phases in the huge wind tunnels. A technology and training centre has been established next door.
More Information about Premium AEROTEC at the location Varel: www.premium-aerotec.com
Nordenham
The Nordenham plant is the world’s most modern facility for the manufacture of fuselage shells and it is Premium AEROTEC’s largest plant. Sited directly on the Weser River, this facility is an integral part of its region and leverages the experience gained in over 75 years of aircraft construction every single day.
With a total of 2,800 employees, the Nordenham plant turns out around 5,000 fuselage shells, some of which are shipped to main customer Airbus in Hamburg by sea. With the construction of complete fuselage structures for the new Airbus A350 XWB programme out of carbon fibre composites, the company has achieved a further integration step from shell assembly to section construction at its Nordenham plant. One clear highlight in the area of aluminium-working is the use of laser beam welding technology, which offers production possibilities unique in Europe.
In addition, the shippable water near the plant is a logistic advantage – and one to which there is no alternative when it comes to transporting the large A380 fuselage shells.
More information to Premium AEROTEC at the location Nordenham: www.premium-aerotec.com
There are numerous companies from the aerospace industry in the Nordenham Technology Center, long-term partners from Airbus and Premium AEROTEC, as well as new businesses that take part in development projects. The key fields of the companies lie on development, construction, engineering, CFK-component construction and material testing. The partner companies are also active in the wind-energy-, automotive- and shipbuilding industries.
Further information to Nordenham Technology Center: www.tzn-nordenham.de.
Stade
The location Stade is the place of business for the CFK-Valley Stade e.V. Within this network, around 100 companies are gathered that are active in the fields of carbon-fibre composites research and production. Thus here, at the biggest production site for light constructional components in Europe, Airbus produces its CFK parts for airplanes.
At the CFK-Valley Stade Campus, the Private University of Göttingen offers diverse study programmes to train qualified experts for lightweight construction. In the Research Center CFK NORD, businesses such as DLR, Airbus, Premium AEROTEC and the Frauenhofer Society focus on further development and innovation of the field of CFK. Thus, Stade covers the whole value-added chain of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) from teaching, research and development to production of prototypes and finished products.
Further information about carbon-fibre composites and the activities at the CFK-Valley in Stade on the Webpage of the CFK-Valley Stade e.V.: www.cfk-valley.com.
Buxtehude
The business location of Buxtehude is one of the most rapidly developing centers in the Metropolitan Region of Hamburg as well as in the whole Elbe-Weser-Triangle. Its geographical location between the Airbus locations Hamburg-Finkenwerder and Stade, as well as the direct connection to Hamburg are important location advantages not only in the aerospace industry (Hamburg-Finkenwerder is reached in 20 minutes by car, the inner city in 40 minutes by suburban railway).
In Buxtehude, the focus of the aircraft construction lies on cabin construction, development of electronical communication systems and engineering services. Airbus can look back on a 20-year old history in Buxtehude. Next to Airbus, there are ten other immediate aerospace industry companies on-site which provide aorund 1.500 jobs. Thanks to an attractive offer on commercial premises, relocations and expansions of the existing production sites are more than possible.
The aviation location of Buxtehude benefits additionally from many young companies that complement the aerospace industry's economic network with new, innovative business ideas.
Furthermore, the private university 'Hochschule 21' offers a direct access to research and teaching with its dual curriculum in mechatronics.
More information about the business location of Buxtehude and its worldwide known products „Made in Buxtehude“: www.buxtehude.de.
