Cold spray to be new standard for aircraft wing skin repair

Aircraft operate in demanding environments that can compromise the integrity of wing skins. Corrosion remains one of the aviation sector’s most persistent and costly challenges, driving downtime, repeated maintenance interventions and disruption to operational schedules. Here, Calum Hicks (pictured), senior technologist at the Digital Factory, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), explains the importance of moving to cold spray application for wing skin repair. 

Traditional repair methods, including epoxy fillers and doubler plates, can extend component life through reinforcement and material replacement. However, these approaches often require ongoing repairs, limiting long-term efficiency. As modern aircraft are designed with strict safety requirements and low tolerance for material degradation, the industry needs a more durable and resilient approach to wing skin restoration.

Cold spray manufacturing offers that solution.

This additive manufacturing process rebuilds damaged components by accelerating metallic powder at supersonic speed to restore material without melting it. By replacing corroded areas with new aluminium alloy, cold spray restores wing skins to their original dimensions while providing a more corrosion-resistant and longer-lasting repair than conventional epoxy-based methods.

Unlike many additive manufacturing technologies, cold spray can be deployed directly inside maintenance hangars thanks to its low operating temperatures and portable equipment. This enables rapid access to damaged structures and significantly expands the scope of repairs that can be completed on-site. Corrosion-affected areas can often be restored within hours, compared with traditional methods that may require days due to preparation and curing times.

Cold spray also supports aviation sustainability goals. By restoring existing components rather than replacing them, the process reduces material waste and extends service life, helping to lower the environmental impact of maintenance activities.

More information www.nmis.scot

Kanav Jain wins big

The winners of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition have been named. The Big Bang Competition, run by EngineeringUK, is a national competition for young engineers, scientists and technologists aged 11 to 18. The top three winners each receive £1000 prize money. Kanav Jain, a student from Broxburn, Scotland is crowned UK Young Engineer of the Year 2026, supported by Thales, for his project ‘AeroAid: Autonomous VTOL quadplane’. Kanav is currently in S4 and entered via community group, First Step Robotics.

More information www.bit.ly/3QHkot6

NCC names advisors

The NCC (National Composites Centre) has appointed Mark Garrett and Tim Minshall as non-executive advisors.The organisation is entering a period of sustained expansion, with growing demand for its expertise from businesses of all sizes. With its strengthened board, the NCC will provide independent oversight and strategic challenge as it continues to scale delivery and impact.CEORich Oldfield says:“Our mission is to translate advanced research into real industrial capability. Mark and Tim’s experience across innovation, governance and academia bolsters our ability to do that at pace and with national reach.”

More information www.nccuk.com

ARMC sets out to de-risk hydrogen switching

The University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has secured £1m funding to establish HyDecarb, a first-of-its-kind, open-access research capability dedicated to the decarbonisation of industrial natural gas. It provides a real-world, industrial-scale testbed for manufacturers to trial hydrogen fuel-switching in a controlled environment. The AMRC’s open-access infrastructure removes the technical and financial barriers that have traditionally made the transition to low-carbon energy too risky for individual manufacturers to attempt alone.

More information www.amrc.co.uk

NUM drives efficiency and flexibility in tool grinding

At the recent GrindingHub 2026 exhibition in Stuttgart, NUM showcased new developments in its NUMROTO tool grinding software, including advanced feed-rate optimisation capabilities and the launch of the next-generation NUMROTO X platform.

The latest enhancements to NUMROTO are designed to help tool manufacturers improve productivity, flexibility and process reliability. A key innovation is the new feed-rate optimisation feature within NUMROTOplus, which automatically adjusts machining feed rates based on the calculated material removal volume generated through 3D simulation.

The technology is particularly beneficial for applications involving variable material removal, including grooving, tapered tools, multi-spiral cutters and step drills. By dynamically adapting feed rates to actual grinding conditions, manufacturers can reduce cycle times without compromising quality or tool life.

According to NUM, the new functionality has already demonstrated significant productivity gains in real-world applications. Grinding times for a multi-flute milling cutter were reduced by 14%, while the production of a stepped tool with insert seats delivered time savings of 29%.

NUM also unveiled NUMROTO X, a completely redeveloped software platform designed to provide greater flexibility and future-proof functionality for digital tool manufacturing. Built on a modular architecture, the new software introduces enhanced movement strategies between grinding operations to minimise idle time and improve axis efficiency.

Additional capabilities include a significantly expanded range of configurable geometric elements for complex tool designs such as barrel and circular segment cutters.

NUMROTO X is available in modules, including ‘Infrastructure’ and ‘Milling Cutter’, each offered in basic, advanced and professional tiers. This structuring allows manufacturers to tailor the software to specific production and tool design requirements while benefiting from a modern, scalable licensing structure.

More information www.num.com