Aerospace Composites Division
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Overview

Welcome to the Aerospace Composites Division, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Helicopter Complex).

Brief History

Aerospace Composites Division (erstwhile Composites Manufacturing Division) was conceived as early as the dates of design of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) & Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and has experience in manufacturing and realizing aircraft structures made up of composites. Over the years the scope and role of the facility was defined and refined from ‘Advanced Composites Shop’ to ‘Centre of Excellence’. The Division became fully functional as Composites Manufacturing Division from April 2007 as a Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of HAL. Currently, the Division is manufacturing the composite structural parts for Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and PSLV/GSLV.

With an average production rates of several thousand composite parts annually for many of our platforms, Aerospace Composites Division is one of the top high volume producers of advanced composite aerospace products in the country.
 
Augmentation Planned
Aerospace Composites Division is augmenting the capacity for LCA 83 Mk-1A programme to deliver 16 aircraft sets per annum. A new production building is coming up and major additional facilities like Automated Tape Laying machine, Autoclave, 5 axis CNC machine & Air circulation oven shall be added to the Plant.

Future Plans
 
  • Development of Tools, Manufacturing and supply of composite parts for LCA MK-II Aircraft
  • Development of Tools, Manufacturing and supply of composite parts for AMCA
  • Development of Tools, Manufacturing and Supply of Composite parts for RUAV programme.
  • Supply & repair of Flexible Fuel tanks for LCH & LUH platforms under ToT from M/s GKN

 
The Division has the following High Tech. facilities:
The Division is equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities like-
  • Environmental Control Areas of 1 lakh class
  • Cold Stores
  • Autoclaves, with max. Size of 4M Dia X8 M length.
  • High precision 5-Axis CNC Machining Centers
  • Automated Ply Cutting Machines
  • Hot Platen Presses
  • Computer Controlled Air Circulating Ovens
  • Laser Projection Systems for Lay–up
  • Filament Winding facility
  • Computer Tomography (CT-Scan) facility
  • Ultrasonic C-Scan facility
  • Coordinate Measuring Machine
  • Universal Testing Machines
  • Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)
  • X Ray Fluoroscopy
  • Material test laboratory for composite material testing
  • CAD facility for Tool Design
Aerospace Composites Division is exploring potential business opportunities with private partners for service and support for supply of composite & metallic toolings and metallic/ composite parts.

To support for composite parts and tooling, the exposure is expected to have in the following areas:
Exposure in design, development and fabrication of tools, manufacturing & supply of monolithic and sandwich composite parts.
  • Facilities such as Autoclave, Clean room, Cold storage, Core machining, Universal testing machine, Ultrasonic testing machines etc. for manufacturing for composite parts.
  • AS 9100:2016 certification for manufacture of Composite Parts and Composite Structural  Assemblies for Aerospace Application.
  • Exposure in design and development of fixtures, checking templates, machining and supply of cured composite components, foam parts etc.
  • Exposure in NC programming and CNC machining of epoxy tooling boards of various shapes and sizes, metallic tooling predominantly of Aluminum alloys and tool steel etc. The machining of tools to be carried out on 3-axis or 5-axis machining centers.
  • Laser inspection services for tooling / jig setting using scanning and tracker, CMM inspection services etc.
  • NDT Facility.
For metallic parts the support is expected in the form of:
  • CNC and conventional machining facilities
  • CNC and conventional jig boring facilities
  • Wire cutting facility
  • Fabrication of sheet metal parts
  • Spline cutting facility
Accreditation
The Aerospace Composites Division, Bangalore is an AS9100D certified division.
The following accreditations are in place with the Division:
 
National
  • National Accreditation Board for Calibration & Testing Laboratories(NABL) for Mechanical Testing
 
International
  • AS9100 : 2016
  • NADCAP approval for NDT
  • Environment Management System - ISO 14001
  • Occupational Health & Safety Management System – ISO 45001
The Division has the following capabilities-
  • Manufacture of Aircraft structural components made of advanced composite materials
  • Manufacture of Honeycomb sandwich bonded structures
  • Manufacture of Co-cured / Co-bonded components
  • Manufacture of Dynamic parts / Rotor systems (Main Rotor Blades, Tail Rotor Blades, Hub Plates and Torque plates etc.) for Helicopters
  • Helicopter structural assemblies (Doors & Cowlings)
  • Machining of composite parts
  • Design and Manufacture of (a) Composites Moulding Tools (b) Master Models for Tooling
 
Products in Current Manufacturing Range are:-
  • Composite components for Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH):
Hingeless Main Rotor Blade, Bearingless Tail Rotor Blade, Main Rotor Hub Plate, Anti Resonance Isolation System (ARIS) , Torque Plate, Rescue Hoist Beam, Major structural components like Cockpit, Doors, Tail Boom, End Plates, Cowlings etc.,
 
  • Composite components for Light Combat Helicopter (LCH):
The LCH, a derivative of Advanced Light Helicopter, is a dedicated attack helicopter built to meet the requirements of armed forces for operations. The dynamic systems of the Dhruv have been adapted in it, making it both formidable and dependable. The Helicopter has a narrow fuselage and tandem crew seat. Major structural and dynamic parts are made out of advanced composite materials.
 
  • Composite components for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA):
The Division has successfully manufactured and produced the state of the art Primary Structural Components for ‘Tejas’ (LCA) using advanced composites materials. A few examples are control surfaces of Elevon using co-cured process, fuselage doors and covers using sandwich and large wing skin panels / airbrake skins monolithic construction using monolithic construction. ACD has specialized in manufacture of Carbon Fibre Composites (CFC) wing assembly details parts consisting of a number of CFC spars and monolithic skin panels.
 
  • Flexible Rubberized Fuel Tank for Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH):
The Division is manufacturing Flexible Rubberized Fuel Tanks for Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) under ToT from M/s GKN Aerospace.
  • PSLV/GSLV Structures:
The division also supports VSSC for the manufacture and supply of PSLV/GSLV composite structures.
Repairs, Major Servicing and Supply of Spares
As part of Customer service, Technical and Logistic support are provided.
 
Technical support is rendered to the Customer in the following areas:
 
  • Maintenance and Repair of Composite assemblies
  • Compliance of Modification and Technical Instructions
  • Accident and Incident Investigations
  • Training of Customer's Personnel
 
On the Logistic side, the support is rendered in the following areas:
 
  • Supply of Spares to Customers against Supply Orders
  • Supply of items against priority demands such as  AOG
  • Deputation of Team to carry out repair activities of composite parts at customer bases
 
Customer’s operating personnel are provided training in repair and maintenance of Parts manufactured by the Division through in-plant training courses, workshops and interactions at operating base.
Aerospace Composites Division has carried out
A. Manufacture of:
  • Monolithic & sandwich construction structural parts for ALH, LCH, LCA and Cowlings for Ecureuil helicopter, France.
  • Honeycomb Sandwich bonded structures, metal-to-metal bonded components.
  • Composite components in Carbon, Kevlar & glass Prepreg.
  • Dynamic components like Main Rotor Blade, Tail Rotor Blade, Hub plates, ARIS Spring. For ALH & LCH
  • Door Assembly for ALH & LCH
  • Co curing of composites parts
  • Machining of composites parts
B. Design and Manufacture of :
  • Composites Moulding Tools
  • Master Models for Tooling
C. Servicing of:
  • Transmission components
  • Structural components
Please contact:
General Manager
Aerospace Composites Division
Helicopter Complex,
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Marathahalli Post,
Bangalore - 560 037, INDIA
Telephone: 91 - 80 – 22314764
Fax: 91 - 80 - 22315005
Approvals

The Aerospace Composites Division, Bangalore is approved by the following authorities for military and civil operations:
  • Director General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA), India.
  • Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India.