Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie e.V.

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EFW has two central business areas: the design and manufacture of flat sandwich components for all models of Airbus aircraft (including corresponding spare parts) and the conversion of passenger aircraft into freighters. As the EADS centre of excellence for freighters, EFW contributes to the evolution of the Airbus freighter family.

The conversion of passenger airliners into freighters involves extensive modification work, but is an increasingly common practice in civil aviation. Potential customers for passenger-to-freighter conversions can be found among the cargo airlines, airlines operating small fleets of aircraft, and leasing companies. EFW’s present portfolio comprises conversion kits for Airbus types A300-600 and A310. The company is also codeveloping a solution for the conversion of Airbus types A320/A321 in collaboration with Airbus and Russian partners UAC and Irkut. EFW’s aircraft maintenance business is steadily expanding and, thanks to its considerable experience of special programs, the company is regarded as the expert for military modifications of the Airbus A310.

In the aircraft component business, EFW is an approved Production Organisation (EASA Part 21G), designing and manufacturing fibre-reinforced flat sandwich panels for all Airbus models. Its products range from floor panels, ceiling panels and cargo compartment linings to bulletproof cockpit doors. Each month, around 20 000 components are manufactured and delivered “just in time” to the Airbus final assembly lines in Hamburg and Toulouse. EFW bears overall design and production responsibility for the cargo compartment linings and floor panels for both the A380 and A350 programmes. The engineering department at EFW is an EASA-approved Design Organisation and contributes to the expansion of the entire EFW product spectrum.

The main focus of EFW’s development activities lies in the conversion kit for the Airbus A320/A321, the evolution of the Airbus freighter portfolio, the development of new components, and ongoing efforts to reduce the weight and cost of our components. The sandwich panels used for flooring and cargo compartment linings, for instance, are made up of layers of numerous different materials – it is their combination that determines the properties of the panels. Other current focal areas of R&D include product optimisation through the use of new materials and combinations of materials, with the aim of achieving weight reductions and further improving mechanical and acoustic properties and fire resistance.