One of the major strengths of Eurocopter’s “Dynamic Assemblies” product center is its ability to develop, industrialize and manufacture new products that are right in step with customer needs. Massive investments have been made to develop the industrial tool and employee skills.

Together with rotor blades for example, dynamic assemblies are the helicopter’s most vital components, and they represent the very essence of what Eurocopter does. Customers will only accept the finest products, and the company’s main objectives are to guarantee reliability and irreproachable quality while also reducing delivery lead times and costs. Major investments have been made since 2002 in both these areas. The first plan was to create an industrial tool at the cutting edge of technology to insure that Eurocopter remained among the world’s elite class in the production of major dynamic assemblies: rotor heads, casings, pinions. Heat treatments, surface treatments, assembly and test benches complied with all new environmental standards. The teams are now grouped in multi-skilled work units (Design Office, Stress Office, Planning, Materials & Process Laboratory (LMP), and Quality), and a “Rotor Engineering” center of excellence was created. The goal is to take into account customers needs and expectations from the beginning.

High Skill Levels
If Eurocopter manufactures today some of the most high-performance assemblies in the world in terms of cost, reliability, weight and optimized functions, it is mostly due to the permanent investment of the product center and the special skills of the people who are working within the Product Center.
The company has obtained such impressive skill levels thanks to more than thirty years of experience with work teams from different sectors working closely together to create the finished product: whether it be design, support or industrialization.

“Our goal is to perpetuate the competencies to match our customers’ expectations that are getting stronger and stronger,” explained Jean-Claude Faradian, director of the ‘Dynamic Assembly’ Product Center.” Specialists were also nominated for each activity and each specific skill. Their mission is to formalize the specialized know-how they have gained in dynamic assemblies.
A new policy was developed to integrate the different trades, with a careful combination of internal know-how and external skills provided by personnel that have received high-level training.

Respect for Environmental Constraints
As the fruits of these projects launched over the past five years are reaped, even better new products can be developed, and dynamic assemblies with even higher performance levels can be produced. A case in point is the EC175, which benefits from the latest technological developments (the use of magnesium on casings and titanium, composites, and metal matrix composites (MMC) on sleeves and transmission shafts).

In another key area, the maximum number of functions are being integrated on MGB parts to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs (integrated bearing raceways, special high-performance steels), while at the same time meeting environmental requirements. “Nowhere else in the world will you find products that stand up to what we’re currently manufacturing,” concluded Mr. Faradian.

“Our strength is our ability to develop, industrialize and manufacture new products that are in tune with customer needs, thanks to our multi-skilled setup that takes into account all our needs and our constraints.”