GENERAL MEETING OF AEDTFFA, THE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS OF THE CFAA

On Wednesday, 15 November 2017, the General Meeting of the CFAA Business Group was held at the Aeronautical Advanced Manufacturing Centre (CFAA) located in the Science and Technology Park of Vizcaya in Zamudio. The topics discussed included the approval of the addition of new members.

The objective of the Group (officially called Business Group for the Development of Advanced Aeronautical Manufacturing Techniques – AEDTFAA) is to collaborate in the research and development of advanced aeronautical manufacturing technologies, and in demonstrating technologies that permit transferring the results of basic and applied research to the production environment, through the execution of specific projects and using CFAA facilities; maintaining a mutual and reciprocal commitment to support and maintain this Centre.

The addition of INTERMAHER to the group as full member was approved at the Meeting; as well as the addition of TEBIS, BOLUETA, WNT, OERLIKON, GISTEK, NTK, SANDVIK, KOMEK, ISCAR, WIDIA, MUFER and PRO-MICRON as limited members.

Thus, the Group now has 48 members, and it is currently comprised of:
• Main members (OEMs): ITP and DANOBATGROUP.
• Full members (Machinery manufacturers): IBARMIA INNOVATEK, ONA ELECTROEROSIÓN, RENISHAW IBÉRICA, METROLOGIA SARIKI, GETTING ROBOTIKA, GMTK MULTI-PROCESS MACHINING, TRIMEK, EKIN and INTERMAHER.
• Full members (Component manufacturers): WEC - WALLAIR ENGINE COMPONENTS, METALÚRGICA MARINA, ALFA PRECISION CASTING, MESIMA BILBAO, MIZAR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, PRAXAIR ESPAÑA, FRESMAK and WOLKO.
• Limited members (Contribution in kind): HOUGHTON, LAIP, KENDU, SIKULAN, NEURTEK, TALLERES DE GUERNICA, SoC-e, HAIMER, JAZ ZUBIARTE, WALTER TOOLS, ZOLLER IBÉRICA, ALICONA, EMUGE-FRANKEN, MERSEN IBÉRICA, METAL STALKI, MITSUBISHI MATERIALS ESPAÑA, GREEN LEAF EUROPE, TEBIS, BOLUETA, WNT, OERLIKON, GISTEK, NTK, SANDVIK, KOMEK, ISCAR, WIDIA, MUFER and PRO-MICRON.

And four Collaborator Members (Support): AFM Cluster, HEGAN–Basque Aerospace Cluster, IMH-Instituto de la Máquina Herramienta y SIEMENS.

On the other hand, the activities of the members, in terms of projects that are being carried out, were monitored, verifying that the commitment acquired by the members when they joined the group is solid and serious, having fully covered the agreed level in terms of number and value of ongoing projects for the period.

Finally, the 72 people present at this meeting attended the official inauguration of the CFAA which took place on the same day at the Centre’s facilities and which was presided by the Lehendakari (Official Press Release of the inauguration event).

It is this cross-cutting nature that provides a traction effect that permits harmonising and collaborating in the development of advanced manufacturing technologies, making it possible for the investment effort in advanced R&D to have a common objective and a clear road map in such a manner that this effort is clearly multiplied.

Likewise, he publically thanked both the Basque Government and the Regional Council of Vizcaya during the event for their support from the start of the project; also the UPV/EHU for their unconditional support to this initiative, which, since they heard about it, they considered to be strategic within the University; all the technicians and engineers who have been personally involved to make this centre a reality; and, finally, some warm words about Placido RODAL, responsible for ITP Manufacturing Technology, who sadly passed away, and whose original idea gave rise to the Centre and without whose collaboration spirit and service it would have been impossible to successfully carry out.