It will come as no surprise to learn that non-metallic composite components are used increasingly in the manufacture of commercial and military jet engines to reduce engine weight, increase customer payloads, and provide optimum sound suppression. The application of non-metallic materials to jet aircraft engines is relatively new, and there continue to be innovations in the field of composites.

Machining composite materials poses a number of challenges, so there is much to be learned from shops and plants that are now doing it successfully. One of those plants belongs to the General Electric Aircraft Engine (GEAE) group and is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the most important lessons this plant has learned about machining composites is that every element of the process must be considered carefully. Successful machining of composites requires the right machine, the right fixturing, the right cutting tools, and so on, only the degree of "rightness" required is far higher than typically encountered in most machining applications.

An unusual machine tool installed a few years ago to machine composites provides a case in point. Ultimately, the exact "rightness" of this machine depended on the type of spindle with which it was equipped. With the right spindle, all of the other right choices regarding type of cutting tools and cutting speeds and feeds could be made.

It will come as no surprise to learn that non-metallic composite components are used increasingly in the manufacture of commercial and military jet engines to reduce engine weight, increase customer payloads, and provide optimum sound suppression. The application of non-metallic materials to jet aircraft engines is relatively new, and there continue to be innovations in the field of composites.

Machining composite materials poses a number of challenges, so there is much to be learned from shops and plants that are now doing it successfully. One of those plants belongs to the General Electric Aircraft Engine (GEAE) group and is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the most important lessons this plant has learned about machining composites is that every element of the process must be considered carefully. Successful machining of composites requires the right machine, the right fixturing, the right cutting tools, and so on, only the degree of "rightness" required is far higher than typically encountered in most machining applications.

An unusual machine tool installed a few years ago to machine composites provides a case in point. Ultimately, the exact "rightness" of this machine depended on the type of spindle with which it was equipped. With the right spindle, all of the other right choices regarding type of cutting tools and cutting speeds and feeds could be made.