Machine tool probing for aircraft engine pylons

Engine pylons bear the load of the aircraft’s engine and are designed to combine strength and rigidity with a lightweight and aerodynamic design that reduces drag.

Like all structural elements of an aircraft they need to fit their surrounding components perfectly. Failure to make parts accurately means wasting the expensive metal or composite materials that make up the engine pylon blank and slowing down the production cycle. But because engine pylons are machined in a single clamping to eliminate the need to realign such a complex part, they are time-consuming to inspect during production.

Hexagon helps boost productivity by providing on-machine probes and inspection software that enable engine pylon manufacturers to easily align a blank and accurately machine a complex part in a single clamping.

Our intuitive software for machine-tool measurement makes it possible to identify potential sources of error throughout the process to ensure from the outset that the position, size and shape of the finished part exactly match the original design. It also allows for automated measurement within the tooling process, while our precision radio-wave touch probes enable manufacturers to rapidly collect the data they need on the machine tool.