Machining User Group Meeting Aerospace: Between Boom and Decarbonization

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On December 3, the Machining User Conference will focus on the current challenges facing aerospace manufacturing. Experts from research and industry will discuss sustainable strategies for the factory floor.

In 2026, the civil aviation industry is experiencing a fascinating technological paradox. There is talk of record-breaking orders for major aircraft manufacturers—global fleet modernizations are in full swing to meet the enormous demand for passenger travel. At the same time, the industry is under immense pressure to achieve complete decarbonization by 2050.

Since future alternative propulsion technologies (such as green hydrogen or synthetic fuels) are extremely energy-intensive to produce, the aircraft’s entire life cycle—including its highly efficient production—is becoming a central focus of sustainability assessments.

Against this backdrop, the upcoming Machining User Conference at the VCC Würzburg, with this year’s Focus on Aerospace, plays a key role. The current program clearly shows that manufacturing technology is facing a historic turning point at which economic and ecological considerations must be technologically integrated. The conference language is German.

The Keynote: Manufacturing Technology in the Aviation Industry—Between Decarbonization and Record Order Volumes

The strategic framework for the conference will be set by the keynote address from Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Hendrik Dege, Director of the Institute for Production Engineering at the Hamburg University of Technology. In his presentation titled “Production Engineering in the Aviation Industry—Between Decarbonization and Record Order Volumes,” he will shed light on the fundamental transformation of the value chain.

Modern lightweight materials such as carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) and high-strength titanium alloys are indispensable in aviation for reducing weight. However, their initial production and subsequent machining are extremely energy-intensive and traditionally involve high material waste. Prof. Dege demonstrates that the path to reducing CO₂ emissions lies in the use of semi-finished products with near-final contours, which, through optimized manufacturing processes, enable a significant reduction in material and energy consumption.

A Focus on Technological Highlights

In the rest of the program, these strategic guidelines are translated into concrete solutions for the factory floor. A look at three program items—each of which exemplifies a different technological focus—illustrates what this transformation looks like in practice:

1. Resource and Energy Efficiency Through Media-Flexible Cooling

The presentation “Media-Flexible Cooling Strategies for Materials That Are Difficult to Machine” by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Nico Hanenkamp (Chair of Resource- and Energy-Efficient Production Machinery at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg) addresses one of the most critical factors in the machining of titanium and composite structures: thermal stress.

Based on tests conducted on a 5-axis machining center, his team is comparing alternative cooling and lubrication strategies—ranging from compressed air to minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) to cryogenic cooling—directly and without any machine modifications. Drawing on practical experiments, the presentation demonstrates how the targeted use of alternative cooling and lubrication strategies can achieve significant tool life extensions and stable processes when machining typical aerospace materials (e.g., titanium, CFRP/GFRP). In addition, the presentation bridges the gap to digitalization: An integrated digital twin that combines process, machine, and drive models also enables in-depth analysis and optimization.

Europe’s security landscape is changing rapidly

As defence budgets rise and EU programmes expand, civil technology providers are becoming vital contributors to Europe’s strategic autonomy. The event will act as a neutral platform for dialogue between technology suppliers, integrators, and decision-makers shaping the next generation of European defence capabilities and aims to open doors between civil industry and defence procurement, providing practical insights.

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2. Maximum Performance Under Extreme Material Removal Conditions

In a joint presentation, Jens Ilg (Mapal) and Dominik Merz (bavius technologie) will demonstrate how to optimize machining practices for components that traditionally generate a high volume of chips. Using the example of a realistic rear spar demonstrator (wing longitudinal profile) made of 7075 aluminum, they will show how a holistic concept combining machine and tool drastically reduces machining times compared to traditional gantry designs.

Structural components of this type often involve material removal of over 90 percent. Extremely thin webs, deep pockets, and the risk of thermal warping require perfectly coordinated tool geometries and highly dynamic machining centers. This presentation provides practical data for production planners on how to achieve high surface quality and minimize heat input while maintaining maximum material removal rates.

3. In-Process Quality Assurance for Large-Format Components

Another technological challenge will be addressed in the presentation by Benjamin Buzga (Mitsubishi Electric) and Roman Felber (Penta-TEC). When machining large-format, curved aluminum structures, geometric variations can quickly lead to extremely costly scrap.

We are introducing an innovative system integration that seamlessly combines a high-performance CNC control system with CAD/CAM functionality directly on the control interface. This allows corrections to the workpiece to be made directly on the machine. The system offers automated error detection in the vacuum clamping system as well as precise component measurement directly in the milling machine. This allows for rework to be completed before the complex component is removed from the machine—a crucial step in preventing downtime.

You can find the complete program and all additional information here. Please note: The conference language is German.