European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has announced that the final assembly of the A350F, the freighter version of the Airbus A350 Family, will begin this year.
Airbus’ industrial sites are working collaboratively to ensure a seamless process, with teams at the A350 assembly line in Toulouse prepared to receive various components.
One of the critical developments in 2024 has been the enhancements at the Saint Eloi site next to Toulouse in France, where the majority of Airbus engine pylons are manufactured. This titanium component, connecting the wing to the engine, endures temperatures ranging from -50° to +600°C. For the A350F, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) had to reinforce the two engine pylons, resize key parts and fasteners, and design a new cowling.
An engine pylon of a commercial aircraft connects the engine to the wing or fuselage
Christophe Hazanbegovic, A330/A350 Value Stream Mapping (VSM) representative on the project, highlighted the teamwork involved: “The close working relationship with the engineering, methods and production teams was a major factor in the project’s success.”
A notable addition to the first A350F pylon (MSN700) is the integration of a next-generation optical fibre system. While optical fibre has been used in Airbus aircraft since the A380, this upgraded version significantly improves overheating detection around the engine pylon’s insulated air pipes while minimising parasitic signals.
Quentin Allard, industrial project manager at Saint Eloi, emphasised its importance: “This new generation of optical fibre is capable of considerably improving the detection of overheating around the engine pylon’s insulated air pipes and reducing parasitic signals. It’s a big step forward.”
Unlike conventional optical fibre, this new system is thicker and more durable. An operator involved in the project stated: “After several installation tests and this first installation, I’m confident about the introduction of this new technology. The challenge is to ensure that the bending radii are correct and that the connectors are clean. The route is entirely new, but no more complex than the old system. After installation, we have to carry out checks to certify the conformity of the optical system.”
The installation was successfully completed with assistance from the Electrical Methods Department. Additionally, training exercises are being conducted at the Saint Eloi training room, while the left and right engine pylons are in the final stages of preparation for delivery to FAL Station 40 this year.
Advancements at the Final Assembly Line (FAL)
At the Saint Martin site, Airbus’ Industrial Support Tooling teams have adapted certain A350 FAL assembly stations to accommodate the A350F’s specific needs. One such development is the introduction of ‘Godzilla’, a 14-metre-high, 14-metric-tonne tool designed to provide secure access to the cargo door and upper fuselage.
Jérôme Fraysse, project manager, explained: “This 14-metre-high, 14-metric-tonne metal monster is unique in that it provides access to the cargo door, allowing operators to move around and work on the upper fuselage in complete safety and ergonomically. The aircraft environments of our assembly stations currently move on rails. With the ‘Godzilla’, this was not an option. So we turned to a new, hitherto unused technology: motorised wheels guided by lines on the ground and QR codes. The new accesses to the largest cargo door ever installed on the main deck of a civil aircraft are controlled by a wireless remote control. This, too, is an achievement of the Cargo project team!”
Airbus employees are also exploring the possibility of integrating wheeled robots into existing A350 tooling. These robots interface with certain jigs at Station 50, maneuvering them safely through the assembly stations and inside the aircraft, ultimately saving time in the industrial cycle.
A model of the A350F/ Image: Airbus
“Other challenges were taken up by the teams. The MFT (Manufacturing Engineering, Ergonomics, HSE teams) has integrated changes in aircraft design, taking ergonomic aspects into account to facilitate operators’ work and ensure their safety. But also to fit our interventions into the production schedule to carry out the work. When a station was available for a few days, the teams prepared as if for a marathon, in order to optimise the effective intervention time of the various parties involved (industrial resources, facility management), without disrupting aircraft production and delivery,” said Romain Peyrola, Project Leader, Industrial Means Engineering, A350.
Major milestone achieved with ‘Metro’
Another significant milestone was achieved by the Toulouse Engineering and Electrics Centre teams, who powered up the first A350 freighter ‘Metro’. This new assembly, fitted with main Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI) systems, streamlines aircraft integration phases and facilitates early functional checks, reducing impacts on the A350 assembly line schedule.
The Metro also introduces an advanced Flight Test Engineer Station (FTES), crucial for upcoming flight test campaigns. Manufactured entirely in-house by the electrics centre experts, this 1.8-metric-tonne assembly required over 1,600 work hours from manufacturing engineering and 2,700 work hours from production.
As final assembly progresses, all industrial components from Airbus production sites, including the two engine pylons assembled at Saint Eloi, will be delivered to FAL Station 40 for integration under the aircraft’s wings.
