Magellans Vice President Don Boiston looks ahead during MM&P Winnipeg Keynote Address

Canadian Metalworking July 2017 July 19, 2017 By: Sue Roberts

Changing trends in the aerospace industry are in response to changes in the global economy.

Don Boitson shared his vision of the contributions of the aerospace industry to the global economy during his keynote address at the MM&P Expo in Winnipeg.

Editors Note: Don Boitson, vice president North American operations for Magellan Aerospace, shared his view of the globalization; human and technology development; agility; and changing landscape of the aerospace industry during his keynote address, An Integrated Vision of Aerospace, at the MM&P (Metalworking Manufacturing & Production) Expo in Winnipeg, Man. in April. Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Fabricating & Welding are co-hosts of the annual MM&P Expo series.

Magellan Aerospace has broken the $1 billion barrier, now ranking approximately third in revenue foraerospace companies in Canada, the U.S., and Europe. It has committed a portion of its manufacturing to facilities recently established in Poland and India.

Here is what Boitson had to say about industry growth and industrialization.

The global aerospace market will continue its growth. The global forecast puts this growth between 2 and 4 per cent annually.

In the aerospace sector alone, a single point of GDP growth, on average, translates into a 2 percentage point increase in passenger air travel. That means 2 per cent more traffic--more people, more airplanes. Everyone in the supply chain grows. As more people are flying, the local economy continues to grow in all sectors.

Boitson said that China is going to have the No. 1 global economy by 2050. India will be in the No. 2 position. We are moving from a U.S.-based and European-based economy. In 2050 Europe is only going to be 10 per cent of the global economy. So there are changing trends to meet the needs of those marketplaces and the products and services to go with them.

The global economy will double by that time, outstripping population growth, Boiston continued. Passenger and air freight volumes will continue their consistent upward trend. Technology improvements will continue speeding overall production processes while making them more efficient. This technologically induced speed will be necessary to secure a portion of that growth.

The emerging markets probably will grow twice as fast as the so-called advanced economies, but they have work to do to enhance their institutions and infrastructure. Thats where the leading economies like North America have an advantage. They are aware of the importance of collaboration among manufacturers, educational institutions, and suppliers, and they work to establish cooperative programs that enhance technological development and educate the next generation.

It will be necessary to maintain low labour costs to compete with and supply to the emerging markets.

Look to the machine tool industry and what we have done in the aerospace industry. In the 30 years I have been at Magellan, what we did on the shop floor then and what we do now is totally transformed. We take new products, technology, and processes and apply them with the people we havewe upskill them.

He added that although the value-added employees are at slightly higher wages, their skills are the big factor in providing the products and services that allow the company and the Canadian market to continue their global growth. As the third-largest aerospace sector in Canada, Manitoba exports over 80 per cent of its aerospace products. Annual provincial revenues for the industry, he said, push $2 billion. Over 5,000 people are employed throughout its diverse industrial base.

Academic, governmental, and research partnerships lead to design, development, and manufacturing excellence. International companies turn to Manitoba aerospace manufacturers for spacecraft and payload design and integration, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) guidance systems, aircraft modification and certification, cold weather and environmental testing, and military and civilian pilot training.

We put spacecraft up. Everybody is aware that every single large aircraft engine globally is tested in Manitoba.

Magellan Aerospace in Winnipeg is home to the Centre for Non-destructive Inspection (CNDI), a collaborative effort among government, academia, and industry. It is the second industrial campus created by Red River College for transformative technology.

The CNDI has the only laser ultrasonic testing (UT) system of its kind outside of Lockheed Martin in the U.S. and is the only place where organizations can access the systems technology with experienced operators to work on research projects.

The Laser UT System technology from PaR Systems, originally developed in Montreal, creates a digital footprint of an aircraft that stays with the plane throughout its life.

The 5-axis gantry system uses CO2 and YAG lasers to generate and detect ultrasound, which allows for a contact-free inspection of composite parts for porosity, delamination, and inclusions. It is designed for use with large, complex parts and its length can be increased to accommodate very long structures.

The Advanced Satellite Integration Facility (ASIF) is another example of collaboration located on the Magellan Winnipeg campus. ASIF operations are shared with the University of Manitoba. It provides a place for industry and academia to work together on research, development, and the construction and testing of satellite buses and components.

Other technical initiatives to improve production have involved aluminum trials working with materials for various gearboxes, new equipment for improved casting control, and combining a 5-axis machining cell with load/unload robotics.

With the continuing changing global landscape, Boitson advises companies to establish a long-term vision but stay agile and capable of rapid change. Thinking and tactics need to be fluid enough to change in the short term.

Future production has to be focused, flexible, scalable, and local to operate effectively in the global environment. Local manufacturing contributes to the agility needed to accommodate todays movement toward mass customization and its low-volume, high-mix, quick delivery requirements.

One of the ironies of rampant globalization, he said, is that it ultimately leads to a return to local production.

The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) monitors and reports the contributions of aerospace to the Canadian economy. These impressive numbers include:

Associate Editor Sue Roberts can be reached at sroberts@canadianmetalworking.com.

Magellan Aerospace, 905-677-1889, http://www.magellan.aero

2135 Point Blvd Elgin, IL 60123

Sue Roberts, associate editor, contributes to both Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. A metalworking industry veteran, she has contributed to marketing communications efforts and written B2B articles for the metal forming and fabricating, agriculture, food, financial, and regional tourism industries.

Roberts is a Northern Illinois University journalism graduate.

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Up to 4 Per Cent Growth Predicted for Aerospace Industry - Canadian Metalworking