Boeing 787 Woes Won’t Be Repeated on Airbus A350, Umeco Says

Airbus SAS’s A350 jet should prove less problematic to build than the Boeing Co. (BA) 787 because of advances in producing the composite plastics from which it will be made, said Umeco Plc (UMC), which is working on both models.

Advances in carbon-fiber technology mean that parts can be molded using a curing process that supplies the required heat without the need for high-pressure ovens known as autoclaves, Umeco Chief Executive Officer Andrew Moss said in an interview. “If you can avoid the high pressure it’s much easier and cheaper,” said Moss, whose company produces composites and the tooling needed to make parts from the plastic for Boeing, Airbus and major suppliers such GKN Plc (GKN) and Senior Plc. (SNR)

Boeing has postponed 787 deliveries seven times, resulting in a three-year delay, after grappling with new materials and production systems required for the world’s first composite airliner and handing work to outside companies to cut costs. The first Dreamliner is now due for handover to All Nippon Airways by September, with the rival A350 slated for delivery in 2013.

Airbus aims to begin assembling the first A350 by the year’s end after completing curing of the plane’s largest fuselage panel in March. Sections are being built in factories across France, Germany the U.K. and Spain for final assembly at the company’s headquarters in Toulouse, France.

For more: Boeing 787 Woes Won’t Be Repeated on Airbus A350, Umeco Says - Bloomberg