Record Orders for Airbus Spells Good News For Connector Makers By Arthur Visser,
Bishop & Associates Inc.
If the 2011 Paris Airshow is any
indication of things to come, connector manufacturers have good
reason to be optimistic. Aircraft builder Airbus registered record
sales of 730 airliners at the show, including 701 orders for its new
star, the single-aisle A320 in both its original and fuel-efficient
“Neo” variant. The total order book value for the week of the show
is said to be $72 billion. The biggest single airline sale in
history came from AirAsia, with a deal to buy a record 200 A320neo
jets for a price of $18.2 billion, making it Airbus’ biggest
customer. According to Airbus, another order came in for 10 A380
super jumbos, at $3.75 billion dollars.
The 49th Paris Airshow opened its doors at Paris Le
Bourget from June 20-26 for trade visitors and, over the weekend,
for the general public. Organized since 1909, it is considered
the world’s leading aviation and
space event. It is organized every other year (uneven years) and its
‘rival,’ the Farnborough
International Airshow, is organized in even years in the U.K.
The news about Airbus is not only good news for the airplane
manufacturer, but also for all its suppliers, including the
connector manufacturers who work with Airbus and have invested time
and money in the design-in process for their interconnect solutions.
The Solar Impulse
solar-powered aircraft
made a dazzling premiere at the show. This airplane is entirely
powered by solar energy. Consequently, it’s very silent — like a glider
plane, you don’t hear the slightest noise. The Solar Impulse is
flying with a speed of about 70 km per hour. It’s more of a proof of
concept that flying on solar power can be done. The construction
uses the most advanced technologies and stimulates scientific
research in the field of composite structures, the so-called
intelligent light materials. Finding efficient (and lightweight)
solutions for producing and storing energy is another positive
spin-off. These research results can be used in numerous other
applications besides aircraft.
SOURIAU is providing power and signal electrical composite
connectors for the Solar Impulse. Through a partnership agreement,
Solar Impulse uses SOURIAU composite connectors to supply and
monitor the four electrical motors, each powered with solar panels
and a high performance battery. These connectors are made of
composite material with a special metallization in order to be the
lightest possible, and also to ensure the highest EMI protection
performances.
Souriau is also a supplier to the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The French-based connector manufacturer
provides connectors used for flight controls, engines, fuel tank
sensors, and landing gear controls. In addition, Souriau supplies
connectors to various Airbus aircraft, including the new A350 and
the super jumbo A380.
Of course, there were many other interesting technologies and
products on display during the show. Boeing showed off its
Dreamliner B787, and the number of unmanned drones or small aircraft
on display was also a sign that this market is developing well.
French
interconnect specialist ATI Interco, the
result of a merger of ATI Electronique with Interconnexions in 2009,
provides complete connectivity solutions for its key markets. The
company makes a range of custom build interconnect solutions for
customers in the
commercial aviation, military and defense, industrial, and rail
industries. ATI-Interco works in close collaboration with Zodiac
Aérospace to equip the A350 with highly reliable connecting systems.
The company’s first series is expected this year. Among their many other
products, ATI-Interco also supplies harnesses to the helicopter
industry.
Made from high-performance materials and with fixings that are
lockable using screws, these mixed layout connectors can be used in
severe mechanical and climatic environments.
All aircraft require their own specific interconnect technologies,
ranging from lightweight and reliable fiber optic connections to
ruggedized housings resistant to
extreme temperatures and/or hostile (chemical) environments.
Deutsch, another major player in this market,
used the Paris Airshow to announce their global distribution
agreement with PEI-Genesis
Inc. to assemble their military
and civil
aerospace
connector products, including EN Jet engine connectors for
commercial aircraft.
Many well-known connector manufactures were present during the show,
including PreciDip, Fischer Connectors, Radiall, TE Connectivity,
Amphenol, Multi-Contact, and others. Although the military connector
market, according to the market players, seems to be experiencing a
slowdown, other, related markets like commercial aviation and
industrial markets, are doing well. Some of the trends in the
aerospace markets include:
More Electric Aircraft (MEA),
in which electrical distributed power systems (230VAC) are used for
secondary power systems while maintaining existing hydraulic and
pneumatic systems. The Airbus A380 and Boeing Dreamliner 787 are
built with this concept in mind.
All Electric Aircraft (AEA),
in which all secondary power systems are integrated into a single
electric source. Hydraulic and pneumatic actuation functions would
be eliminated, together with the extraction of bleed air from the
jet engine for the supply of the environmental control and ice
protection systems.
Increased Use of Composite Materials.
Not only is the Solar Impulse built using mostly composite
materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is one of the
first commercial airliners to use composite materials for most of
its construction. Composite materials, which provide excellent
strength at a very low weight ratio, are also used in aerospace
components, such as connectors, which are widely used in these
modern aircraft.
Increased use of
fiber optic technology.
Again, saving weight but not accepting any compromises on
reliability and robustness of the communication and interconnect
solutions opens the door to an increasing use of fiber optic
interconnects in aircraft. ARINC 429 point-to-point data link gives
way to the AFDX Ethernet-based high-speed serial databus. The AFDX
databus, short for Avionics Full Duplex Switched Ethernet, is also
known as ARINC 664.
Ethernet for communication networks.
Ethernet networks have evolved from their original use in office
environments in the ’70s to widespread use in industrial
applications and environments today, and now Ethernet is finding its
way in the aviation industry. Airbus has implemented copper AFDX
databuses on the A380, and Boeing is implementing AFDX over optical
fiber on the 787 Dreamliner.
It’s clear that
the next wave of innovation will take to the skies, as this sneak
preview in Paris indicates. Lighter, faster, and cleaner than ever
before, aviation will open up new territories to high-minded
connector companies.
Arthur Visser
Managing Director—Europe, Bishop & Associates Inc.
Arthur Visser has been
active as a professional in the industrial market for 25 years.
He started his career at Océ Corporate headquarters in Venlo,
the Netherlands, and has since worked in management positions
for OMRON Corporation, a leader in industrial automation
equipment, and later as managing director for HARTING
Belgium/Luxembourg, a leader in industrial ‘heavy duty’
connectors. Arthur has a Bachelor of Science degree in Airplane
Engineering, degrees in marketing and finance, and a master’s
degree in e-media enterprising. His native tongue is Dutch, but
he also speaks English, French, German, and Russian. Using his
successful career and solid education as a stepping -stone,
Arthur started his own company in 2003 and is based in Brussels.
Arthur represents Bishop & Associates in Europe and is as such a
liaison for the European Connector industry.
