[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Airborne wants to make composite more widely accessible by automating the production process. This makes the production of composite products much cheaper and thus affordable for new customer segments. An ambition that can be groundbreaking! In the InnovationQuarter annual report, Airborne illustrates how it links innovation to pragmatic solutions to achieve its ambitions. At Airborne, we are very pleased to work together with InnovationQuarter and honoured to see the interview with CEO Arno van Mourik and CTO Marcus Kremers on the front page of their annual report.
As translated from Dutch:
Airborne stands for transition and ambition
Composites offers many benefits: it is light weight, does not corrode and is very stiff, yet flexible and durable. Disadvantage: the fabrication process is usually labour-intensive and complex, which increases the costs. But according to Marcus Kremers and Arno van Mourik of Airborne, they hold the solution that turns the tide.
The company from The Hague wants to make composite more widely applicable by automating the production process. This makes the production of composite products much more affordable. An ambition that can be groundbreaking!
Airborne has a commendable history in the design and production of composite solutions for industrial applications.
Marcus Kremers, Chief Technology Officer: “Composite is particularly interesting for sectors where weight plays a crucial role, such as aerospace, automotive, offshore, consumer electronics and sporting goods. However, the current production chain has many links and makes composite expensive. We want to change that. That is why we are now investing in automating and digitizing the production of composite components. This way composite can be produced much cheaper, which makes it possible to enter new markets.”
“Financing by InnovationQuarter acts as a snowball effect: it also gives confidence to other investors.” – Arno van Mourik, CEO at Airborne
From producer to automation company
“Our company is currently undergoing an exciting transition from a parts manufacturer to an automation solution provider”, says Arno van Mourik, CEO of Airborne. “The support of our large stakeholders is very important. They must see the benefits of the changing circumstances. InnovationQuarter is one of them: they stand behind our vision and put their money where their mouth is by investing in our company. Financing by InnovationQuarter has a snowball effect: it also instils confidence into other investors. Such as SABIC, a global chemical leader, we attracted the past year through a new financing round.”
Production line as a ‘print’ of the digital reality
“SABIC also has a lot of in-house material, design and process knowledge”, Kremers adds. “Together with them and our partner Siemens we are working on simulation models, also known as ‘digital twins’. We do the design, testing and production of composite via computer models. This results in a digital reality where you can actually see the production line. We then look at composite as a logistical problem: which steps are needed and how can they be automated? Then we build the real production line as a ‘twin’ of the digital reality. Which we can then digitally adjust. This makes it possible to drastically reduce turnaround time and conversion costs.”
“We share our ambition with InnovationQuarter to make the South Holland region the place-to-be for composite.” – Marcus Kremers, Chief Technology Officer at Airborne
Experimenting in the field lab within SMITZH
Together with, among others, Siemens, KUKA and Delft University of Technology, Airborne tests the innovations in the Digital Factory for Composites, one of the first field labs within the national Smart Industry-program. It is also one of a total of eight field labs in SMITZH (Smart Manufacturing: Industrial Application in South Holland), which was co-founded by InnovationQuarter. Entrepreneurs in South Holland can visit the field lab for questions about automation and digitization. “For us, this field lab is really a godsend”, says Kremers. “Here we can fully experiment. SMITZH gives us a boost to do more with companies that, like us, want to create a hotspot for digital manufacturing innovations.”
Kremers continues: “InnovationQuarter brings together the right parties in this cluster and ensures program management and publicity. In addition to being a financier, InnovationQuarter is also important to us for business development.” Van Mourik: ”We share the ambition to make the South Holland region the place-to-be for composites. Generating critical mass in the region is important to grow into a hub. InnovationQuarter is also strongly committed to this.”
Radical changes are in approach
Van Mourik: “If digital production becomes a success and the production costs fall significantly, composite will be embraced in more sectors. And that offers more advantages than just cost savings. Take, for example, oil and gas pipelines. Half of the leakages in these pipes are due to corrosion. Composite does not corrode and thus prevents these leaks and all harmful effects on the environment. Or think of composite aircraft: they require less maintenance and are lighter, which reduces kerosene consumption. That again is also good news for the environment. Digital production means a radical change for the current production processes and the associated qualifications. Our challenge now is to prove that we are digitally in control of the process and can deliver the manufacturing platform via the various partnerships.”
“Composite does not corrode and thus prevents leaks in oil and gas pipelines and all harmful effects on the environment.” – Arno van Mourik, CEO at Airborne
Please find the original article, written in Dutch by Damien van der Bijl, here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]