They can be found on the the fuselage, nose section or wings: these fittings are essential in the process of aircraft manufacturing. There are on average around fifty per aircraft. Temporarily attached to the structure, this piece of equipment is used to enable the completion of several tasks, as explained by the owner of this company, specializing since 2003, in the design and manufacture of these fittings.
Patrice Limont, ISI-MP director : watch the interview in the video.
Weighting between 8 and 800kg (18 and over 1,700 pounds), each fitting is specific to an aircraft type, the position it will occupy, and role it will play. being extremely strong, those which are mounted on the central section of the Airbus A380 for example can support up to 16 tonnes each.
Patrice Limont, ISI-MP director : watch the interview in the video.
Once their tasks have been completed, these fittings go back to their original position and are returned to the circuit. A fitting, therefore, can be used repeatedly during its service-life of about twenty years.
So finally, according to their production rate, air-framers only need to invest in a certain number of sets of fittings. Price? Between 5,000 and 6,000 euros each.