Precise milling of lightweight materials for maximum safety and quality – CNC machining centres in aviation
and aerospace industry
Aircraft manufacturing demands supreme safety standards – so the requirements placed on modern production technologies are just as high. Particularly when it comes to delivering environmental protection and safety in an economical way, there is no alternative to using lightweight materials with an integral design. Their low weight, solid and invincible properties mean they are perfect for use in aviation and for milling using CNC machines.
Common materials with an integral design that are used in aircraft manufacturing include performance materials such as lightweight aluminium, industrial thermoplastics, CFRP – carbon fibre reinforced polymers, GFRP – glass fibre reinforced polymers, honeycomb composites, lightweight honeycomb structure material, lightweight structural materials and aerostructures material.
5-Axis CNC Milling Machines for the Aviation and Aerospace Industry
To meet the demanding precision and quality requirements of aircraft manufacturing, we work closely with our customers to develop customised 5-axis CNC machining centres for efficient and cost-effective milling operations. Our engineers transform your specifications and ideas into tailored machine concepts designed around your components, materials and production goals.
The result is a high-performance CNC milling machine that delivers reliable throughput, outstanding surface quality and maximum process stability. Components can often be produced ready for assembly, significantly reducing or even eliminating the need for secondary finishing operations.
Complex Components Machined in a Single Setup
Thanks to advanced 5-axis machining technology, even highly complex free-form surfaces, lightweight components and sophisticated 3D geometries can be manufactured efficiently and with exceptional accuracy in a single setup. This reduces cycle times, improves repeatability and increases overall productivity.
Tailored to Your Production Requirements
Every CNC machining centre is engineered to match your specific components, materials and manufacturing requirements. Whether you require prototype production, small-batch manufacturing or high-volume serial production, we provide a solution tailored to your application.
Automation as a Competitive Advantage
Manufacturers in the aviation and aerospace industry increasingly rely on automated CNC machining to address skilled labour shortages, expand production capacity and reduce manufacturing costs. Our automation solutions range from individual automation modules to fully integrated machining cells featuring robotic handling systems and camera-based component recognition.
By combining CNC machining and intelligent automation, manufacturers can achieve higher productivity, greater process reliability and consistently high component quality.
Applications of Our CNC Machining Centres in the Aviation and Aerospace Industry
At HG GRIMME SysTech, we design and build highly customised CNC machining centres with maximum precision. From the initial concept and engineering phase through to commissioning, we are your experienced and reliable partner for advanced manufacturing solutions in the aviation and aerospace industry.
Our CNC machining centres are used to manufacture a wide range of aircraft components, including seat shells, acoustic insulation panels, cabin interior components, engine nacelles, acoustic structures, winglets, wing box lower covers, flaps, spoilers, droop panels, interior lighting components and turbine parts. Each machine is engineered to match your specific materials, component geometries and production processes.
Our 5-axis CNC machining centres are designed for the machining of engineering thermoplastics, CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer), GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer), honeycomb structures and aluminium. Today, our systems are used worldwide in aviation, aerospace, cabin interior and aircraft seating applications, delivering the precision, productivity and process reliability required by leading manufacturers and suppliers.
For further information or to discuss your application, please contact us at sales@hg-grimme.de. We look forward to hearing from you.
CNC Machining Centres for Aircraft Seating Components
Modern aircraft seating systems place the highest demands on precision, surface quality and lightweight design. Whether for Business Class seats, First Class suites, Premium Economy seating or Economy Class seat systems, every component must be manufactured with exceptional accuracy and consistent quality.
At our manufacturing facility in Germany, we develop and build customised 5-axis CNC machining centres for the efficient production of aircraft seating components and complex cabin interior parts. Our solutions are designed to meet the demanding requirements of the global aviation and aerospace industry.
Components for Aircraft Seating and Cabin Interior Applications
Our CNC machining centres are ideally suited for the machining of seat shells, armrests, side panels, consoles and a wide range of structural and visible components used in modern aircraft seating systems.
We process a broad range of materials, including engineering thermoplastics, high-performance plastics, CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer), GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer), honeycomb structures and aluminium. The result is precise, cost-effective and highly reliable manufacturing for demanding aviation applications.
Precision Machining for Aircraft Seating Components
Advanced 5-axis CNC machining enables the efficient production of complex free-form surfaces, lightweight structures and sophisticated geometries in a single setup. Aircraft seat manufacturers and suppliers to the cabin interior and aircraft seating sectors benefit from maximum process reliability, short machining times and consistently high component quality.
Our machining solutions support every stage of production – from prototype development and pre-series manufacturing through to high-volume serial production.
Upon request, we are happy to provide references and selected application examples from aircraft seating and cabin interior manufacturing projects.
Case Study
Challenge: A CNC Machine for Demanding Plastic Finishing Applications
Solution: A 5-Axis CNC Gantry Milling System from HG GRIMME SysTech
Krüger Aviation, a customer of HG GRIMME SysTech, on the use of a 5-axis CNC machining system in the aviation industry:
“We can now machine components with both three-axis and five-axis operations on a single machine,” says CTO Ingo Horster. “We are even able to mill different parts simultaneously on the left and right sides of the machine.”
A removable Makrolon partition allows operators to set up workpieces on one side of the table while machining continues on the other. Another advantage is the machine design: the gantry beam with the milling head moves from left to right rather than from front to back. This enables the operator to work on the second table area without interruption while machining is in progress.
Horster also highlights the more dynamic yet highly stable cutting performance. Despite its high machining speeds, the gantry-style CNC system achieves micron-level precision, eliminating the need for additional polishing operations.
CNC Machine for High-Dynamic Machining with a Single-Sided Milling Head Design
One feature that immediately stands out to machining experts is the exceptionally compact milling head, which offers a rotation range of up to 540° and a swivel range of up to 365°.
“Unlike metal machining applications, the forces involved in machining plastics and lightweight materials are significantly lower, allowing us to use a single-sided milling head design,” explains Horster. “This enables us to machine the typically delicate and complex components used in aviation applications with a very high degree of dynamics. The milling head can be tilted much further downwards without any risk of colliding with the machine table or the fixtures.”
As a result, the risk of collisions is significantly lower than with the previous machine generation.
Looking for More Information?
FAQ: CNC Machining Centres for the Aviation and Aerospace Industry
Our 5-axis CNC machining centres are designed for the precise machining of lightweight materials commonly used in the aviation and aerospace industry. These include aluminium, CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer), GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer), engineering thermoplastics, honeycomb structures and composite materials. Each machine is tailored to the specific material and component requirements of the customer.
Our CNC machining centres are used to manufacture a wide range of aircraft components and cabin interior parts. Typical applications include seat shells, armrests, side panels, acoustic elements, engine nacelles, winglets, flaps, spoilers, turbine components and lightweight structural parts. The machines are designed to handle both visible interior components and highly demanding functional parts.
5-axis CNC machining enables complex geometries, free-form surfaces and lightweight structures to be machined in a single setup. This reduces setup times, improves dimensional accuracy and increases productivity. Manufacturers benefit from shorter production cycles, higher process reliability and consistent component quality.
In many applications, our CNC machining centres achieve a level of dimensional accuracy and surface quality that significantly reduces or eliminates the need for additional finishing operations. Components can often be processed further or assembled directly after machining, helping to reduce lead times and manufacturing costs.
Yes. Our CNC machining centres are widely used for aircraft seating and cabin interior applications worldwide. They are ideally suited for machining seat shells, armrests, structural components and visible interior parts that require exceptional precision, surface quality and repeatability.
Yes. We offer automation solutions ranging from individual automation modules to fully integrated CNC machining cells with robotic handling systems and camera-based component recognition. Automation helps manufacturers increase productivity, address labour shortages and improve process reliability.
Absolutely. Our machining solutions are tailored to customer requirements and support prototype production, pre-series manufacturing, small-batch production and high-volume serial manufacturing. Flexible machine concepts and short setup times ensure efficient production across a wide range of batch sizes.
Manufacturers and suppliers benefit from high machining accuracy, short cycle times, reduced manual finishing, reliable production processes and customised machine concepts. Every CNC machining centre is designed around the customer’s components, materials and production requirements.
Yes. We are happy to provide selected references and application examples from aviation, aerospace, aircraft seating and cabin interior projects. You can also learn more about a successful customer application -> in our Krüger Aviation case study.
Our CNC machining centres
in aviation
Krüger Aviation relies on HG GRIMME SysTech
Take-off in partnership. When the cycle time is halved…
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CNC gantry milling machines G-S-F / G-T-F
The entry-level model for maximum milling precision:
The HG 5-axis CNC gantry single milling machine basic
Safe milling of composite materials
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