Engineering
A fully digital process based on CATIA/V5
with corresponding Product Lifecycle Management is supported.
Our laboratories facilities are equipped for all process and
product development and validation.
At the end of 2006, there were more than 100 specialized engineers
endeavoring to meet the same goal: designing products targeting
tomorrow's growth, developing innovative custom solutions
and foreseeing client requirements, to remain at the forefront
of technology and to strive for excellence, thus ensuring
our customers that Asco Industries is one of the world's outstanding
partners.
Research & Development is therefore a strategic cornerstone
of ASCO's technological leadership and a key to securing orders
and consolidating our business success. The strongest emphasis
is therefore placed on short- to medium-term research projects
and participating in research projects in partnership with
major international industrials and research institutions.
In terms of high lift mechanisms, the global innovative goal
of the projects is the validation of improvements of take-off
and landing performance, reduce the weight and simplify the
mechanism. Those efforts will lead to continuous improvement
of our products enhancing our competitiveness and serving
better our customers.
Our engineering excellence was rewarded by Airbus with a bronze
award for our contribution on the leading edge of the A380.
Indeed the A380 will be the first Airbus passenger aircraft
using the Droop Nose concept as moveable leading edge device.
The Droop Nose concept reduces the drag resulting in better
performance during take-off and landing, allowing the aircraft
to climb faster and to reduce the amount of noise radiated
to the environment during take-off.
2006 has also been very successful for the A400M Flap Slave
Support work package consisting of a complex assembly of Titanium,
Aluminum and Steel alloy parts, and representing about one
thousand different items and a total amount of more than 5000
components. This project, which was the first build-to-spec
project with full design responsibility of ASCO delegated
by Airbus, led to the successful delivery of the first ship
set to Airbus UK in December 2006.
ASCO's Design Office team is also now a well integrated and
highly respected by Boeing Seattle with our contribution to
the 787 Dreamliner. This was demonstrated receiving a Boeing
"Exceptional Engineering Achievement" Award for
the slat tracks design.