Airbus originally launched the system before the A350 XWB entered service. The company uses carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) in more than 50 percent of the aircraft’s fuselage, wings and tail, providing the composite material’s benefits of lighter weight, as well as resistance to corrosion and fatigue.
Airbus wants to build on the commercial success of the composite line tool by developing a similar solution for more “classic” metallic airframes, which will be known as the “Clad Tool.” The Clad Tool is already is applied internally in Airbus final assembly line applications, and will be offered to customers beginning this summer.
