“This is not merely a matter of developing skills and safeguarding the employment of skilled people, vital though that is," says Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Deputy First Minister for Wales. "It is a matter of introducing new technology that will put Wales and the UK at the forefront of carbon fibre composites technology.”
"Today we can all celebrate a major investment guaranteeing Airbus’ partnership with Wales for years, if not decades to come," said Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister for Wales, at the announcement. “We also celebrate the fact Wales and the UK will now be moving into the mainstream in composites manufacturing – not just playing at composites, but moving to the top end of high-tech composite manufacturing technology."
The Broughton site spans an area of 122 000 m2 and consists of manufacturing facilities for build-up of all Airbus wings prior to their delivery to the final assembly lines in Toulouse, France, Hamburg or Bremen in Germany, and Seville in Spain. The factory also manufactures and assembles wings and fuselages for the Hawker executive jet. The main site at Broughton consists of a number of wing manufacturing facilities. Each centre is responsible for an important stage in the making of a wing, which begins with the creation of the largest individual section – the skin panel – and continues until a fully assembled pair of wings is ready to be flown to Airbus final assembly lines on the European continent. Broughton’s newest factory was opened in 2003 for the assembly of A380 wings, and it also handles other manufacturing activities. This site is the result of a £350 million investment, and represents a major step in Airbus UK’s capabilities. It is one of the largest factories to be built in the UK in recent years (83 590 m2) with a floor area equivalent to 12 football pitches. Source: www.airbus.com |
