Following the JEC innovation Award in Houston in 2015, RUAG Space has been able to land its first substantial order based on its insert placement technology. This contract anticipates the delivery of structures for 900 mega constellation satellites by the end of 2020. This represents the largest mass production of satellite structures in history.
In November, 2016 RUAG officially opened a new manufacturing facility near Cape Canaveral in Titusville (FL). RUAG Space plans to start manufacturing the satellite structures in early 2017. Comparable to an automotive chassis, this structure serves as the backbone for all other modules on the satellite.
This new facility will utilise Thermwood’s new machining and insertion system in a 24/7 manufacturing environment. Apart from the purchase agreement for the next generation of automated machining, potting and insert machines, RUAG also signed an exclusive agreement for North America with Thermwood to provide to third parties this new platform for automated insert placement. The inserts and process licenses will be available from RUAG Space.
Thermwood systems are used in the aerospace industry worldwide to process a large variety of applications for aircraft, spacecraft and the military. Thermwood also offers large scale additive manufacturing systems to these same industries.
