Premium AEROTEC delivers first fuselage shells for the A321neo ACF to Airbus

For this, Premium AEROTEC invested heavily in its Nordenham plant, undertaking many changes to the production technology. So, for example, the riveting plants had to be extended in order to cope with the longer skin panels for the new section 17. Modifications were also necessary for the manual workstations. Thanks to these and the successful work in development, Premium AEROTEC was able to deliver the first shell shipset on time.

“There is much more of Premium AEROTEC in the ACF model than in the previous A321, because, unlike previously, we designed our components ourselves,” said Dr. Thomas Ehm, Chairman of the Executive Board of Premium AEROTEC. “This achievement in design combined with our comprehensive experience in production has made a significant contribution towards ensuring that this aircraft programme is fit for the coming decades.”

The extensive changes to the construction primarily facilitate better use of the passenger cabin, enabling the cabin capacity to be expanded from the original 220 passengers to accommodate 240 passengers without increasing the length of the fuselage. These are the most comprehensive changes to the A321 since it was first developed in 1992. Significant differences compared to the existing A321 are a new arrangement of the passenger doors and modernisation of the emergency exit doors in the central section. Furthermore, optional additional fuel tanks can be integrated into the fuselage in order to extend the aircraft’s range. For example, airline companies using the A321neo ACF will be able to fly coast to coast across the US in the future. This model will also offer on-board internet access right from the first aircraft. All of the changes were undertaken using state-of-the-art 3D construction tools.

Premium AEROTEC generated revenues of around 2 billion euros in 2016. The company’s core
business lies in the development and production of metal and carbon fibre composite aircraft structures. The company has manufacturing sites in Augsburg, Bremen, Nordenham and Varel in Germany, as well as in Braşov in Romania. For further information see: www.premium-aerotec.com.