Process system specialist Plasticraft — part of the NHE organisation (www.nhe.uk.com) — has completed a major installation for Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus DS), which is the world’s second-largest space company.

The main focus of the installation at Stevenage is on the surface preparation of aluminium skins that, brought together with lightweight aluminium honeycomb, form structural panels for satellites designed and built by Airbus DS for customers world-wide.

Will Green, NHE’s sales director, says: “The aluminium face skins, which typically measure some 3.8m long x 1.5m wide with a thickness of between 0.2 and 1.0 mm, are located in purpose-designed frames.

One of two overhead cranes that we have installed then moves each loaded frame through four of the process tanks, each 4.2m long and featuring both air agitation and heating. Here, degreasing, spray rinse, chrome sulphuric pickle and a final spray rinse ensure that a chrome-free finish is achieved.

“Additionally, we have installed two smaller tanks where similar processes can be applied to smaller components, such as machined parts. There is also a control system that oversees the movement of the cranes.”

Apart from producing excellent surface-finishing properties for each of the aluminium skins, NHE’s ability to fulfil associated water and effluent treatment requirements is also playing a key role at the site, as Brian Watson — head of support services at Airbus DS — explains: “The old process used free-flowing rinse tanks. The water treatment facility we now have comprises a holding reservoir linked directly to a filtration system that produces the de-mineralised water required for the process.

"This is held in a very large clean-water tank that feeds into the rinse processes, after which an effluent treatment installation allows the water to be recirculated into the system, with only a small amount collected for effluent discharge.”