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AeroEdge is a first-tier supplier for the series production of the LEAP turbine from Safran Aircraft Engines, which are used in the A320 and other aircraft.

AeroEdge originated in 2015 in the Japanese city of Ashikaga from the aerospace division of a machining service provider in order to produce prototypes and now also serial parts for customers in the aerospace industry, among them Safran Aircraft Engines. Since then, AeroEdge has acquired the necessary certification and an impressive quality management system and has been growing continuously. In order to keep pace with the rapidly expanding sector, the company is also treading new paths in manufacturing. Since 2018, a LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid from DMG MORI has extended the range of services for the additive manufacturing of complex prototypes and the repair of damaged components.

In Japan, AeroEdge is often described as the “Hope of Ashikaga”, as it was the first company in the country to conclude a direct supply contract with a global aeroengine manufacturer. Safran Aircraft Engines was impressed by the team’s commitment, as it had overcome the challenge of producing complex components from a demanding titanium aluminide material. “In this regard, we benefited to a great extent from our experience in prototype production,” recalls Jun Morinishi, President and CEO of AeroEdge. Following a selection procedure with stringent criteria and exacting delivery requirements, AeroEdge succeeded in becoming the new supplier for the serial production of Safran Aircraft Engines‘ LEAP engine.

Complex prototypes thanks to hybrid manufacturing in a single setup

“The combination of laser deposition welding and 5-axis simultaneous milling on the LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid has enhanced our prototype production processes,” believes Takuya Honda, Chief of Production Headquarters at AeroEdge. The changeover between subtractive and additive manufacturing enables highly complex geometries to be realized with, at the same time, component quality that is identical to pure machining. “This enables us to manufacture components that would be impossible to produce by conventional methods alone.” For this purpose, the work area of the LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid makes it possible to manufacture large workpieces up to ø 500 × 400 mm with build rates of approx. 1 kg per hour.

The user-friendliness of the LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid was also an important criterion during the selection of the machine. This is accomplished by the software with user-oriented interface integrated within CELOS, monitoring for the highest process reliability and quality assurance, and adaptive process control. The latter includes continuous melt pool analysis using a camera and automatic control of the laser power in real time for homogenous component quality.

Efficient MRO processes on the LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid

Jun Morinishi has further plans for the LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid: “The MRO business, that is to say maintenance, repair and overhaul, of aerospace components is increasingly gaining in importance.” The hybrid machine also shows its strengths in this sector. “With the LASERTEC 65 DED hybrid, we can weld on new material to the original quality in defective areas and subsequently mill to the required precision in a single manufacturing process.”

At AeroEdge, the continuous search for new challenges is part of the business philosophy. Jun Morinishi is therefore hoping for further demanding orders and business opportunities: “We want to further enhance our manufacturing technologies and develop new solutions together with DMG MORI.”

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