AMF Capabilities
Equipped with Lycoming 260 HP engine, advanced avionics package, Garmin and Dynon Glass cockpit and side by side seating for instructor and student pilot, Super Mushshak forms an ideal platform for a variety of roles. Short takeoff and landing distance, higher g load bracket, excellent stall and spin recovery, enhanced structural life of 9500 hrs and above all excellent after sales spare and structural repair support are some of the key features rendering super Mushshak aircraft to be far superior then its contemporary primary trainer aircraft of same class.
The aviation industry in Pakistan has experienced a tremendous growth in last 30 years. Over the years, AMF's stature as aircraft manufacturer grew manifold with successive capability achievement to manufacture Jet aircraft trainer K-8 in late 80s, unmanned aerial Vehicle FALCO in 2008 and the modern Jet fighter aircraft, named JF-17 Thunder. Today, AMF has the capability of manufacturing structural parts and aero-structure assemblies such as the Horizontal Stabilizer, Elevator, Vertical Stabilizer, Rudder and Front Fuselage of K-8 aircraf.
An aviation industry is considered at its pinnacle when it has the capability of manufacturing a modern fighter aircraft. Today, AMF has complete infrastructure, core capabilities and state of the art technologies for manufacturing of JF-17 aircraft. Machining centre for production of aircraft parts is equipped with state of the art conventional and CNC machines. Parts with relatively lesser accuracies are manufactured on conventional machines whereas complex parts involving higher accuracies and profiles described by higher order polynomials are manufactured utilizing CNC machines, integrated with Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing Systems.
Sheet metal workshop for JF-17 parts houses an array of conventional and CNC machining facility. Machines such as Guillotine and Nibbling Shear, Conventional and CNC Stack Routers etc are utilized for processes like Shearing, Routing and Sawing techniques. Whereas CNC shot peen forming, Hydraulic Quintus Fluid Cell press, CNC Stretch Forming and CNC punching etc are used for manufacturing of parts involving sheet forming processes.
Pipe manufacturing emerging recently as a separate technology of manufacturing, caters for the requirements of aircraft hydraulic, pneumatic and oxygen systems. It involves Pipe Bending, End Fitting, testing, Marking and Covering. The most typical equipment being used in pipe manufacturing is CNC Pipe Bending Machine.
Special processes form an integral element of any modern manufacturing facility as almost all sheet metal and machine parts undergo Heat Treatment, Surface Treatment, welding and various other types of special processes during manufacturing. Vacuum oil quenching furnaces, Air Circulating and Conventional Furnaces etc are employed for Heat Treatment whereas chemical Treatment facilities include Anodizing, Chromating, Bluing, Phosphating, Pickling Passivation, Electroplating, Primer Painting and Chemical Milling etc.
Keeping abreast with the evolving trends in aviation, AMF decided to venture in manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles through the latest carbon composite material. Advance Material Facility (AMaF) was envisaged with a futuristic vision for production of composite parts (Carbon, glass and Kevlar etc.) for UAVs and commercial aircraft at AMF, being the Centre of Excellence for composite parts production. Successful establishment of AMaF will facilitate manufacturing of composite parts in collaboration with local and international aerospace industry, by utilizing diversified advance composite materials.
Every manufactured part has to undergo a series of testing and inspection procedure from raw material till final stage at Material Testing Centre (MTC). MTC has the capability to conduct all kinds of Physical, Chemical and Non Destructive Testing (NDT) of material including testing capabilities of all heat and surface treatment equipment for periodic qualification.
The first phase of aircraft assembling starts at Aero Structural build up facility. Hundreds of sheets metal and machine parts, pipes and components are skillfully put together with the help of thousands of rivets to build aircraft sub-assemblies such as fuselage, wings, horizontal and vertical stabilizers and ailerons etc. The aircraft starts to take shape at final assembly set up where sub-assemblies, all system parts, engines, piping, cabling are installed and integrated before sending the assembled aircraft to Flight Test Station (FTS) for stringent power ON and functional checks of each and every system of the aircraft. This is followed by series of aircraft ground runs and quality shake-downs before finally handing over it to the test pilot for yet another series of functional check flights (FCFs) to ascertain the airworthiness.
The manufacturing of JF-17 Thunder fighter at AMF has brought Pakistan among select group of countries of aviation world. Attainment of this capability in less than a quarter of a century itself speaks of the highest standards of dedication that PAC Engineers and technicians showed since the word go.
