30 May Development Center for Maintenance of Composites (DCMC) opens its doors at Business Park Aviolanda
With the arrival of the Development Center for Maintenance of Composites (DCMC), Business Park Aviolanda has gained an expertise center. On Wednesday, May 25, about 120 guests gathered to attend the festive opening of the field lab. Martin Knegt, director of DCMC is proud: “I hope that this location will play an important role in the development of new technologies in aviation to strengthen the region.”
Knowledge development
Sander Heijmans, director of Business Park Aviolanda, looks back on times of ups and downs during the corona crisis: “The sale of Fokker Techniek to Fokker Services
Group was important. A setback is the announced departure of Fokker Elmo from our site. But where doors close, a door literally opens here today.” DCMC is committed to working with companies and research institutions to bring the maintenance of composites to a higher level. Martin Knegt explains: “We are involved in the specific maintenance on composite. We have had this knowledge for years, but the difference now is that these composites are used much more in parts
of aircraft that are more heavily loaded and where higher requirements are set. This requires more knowledge and expertise.”
Strengthening the region
What does the arrival of DCMC at Business Park Aviolanda bring to the maintenance ecosystem? Martin explains: “There is an increasing trend of composite materials in
aircraft, but the attention of the maintenance aspect is still too low. With DCMC we try to offer training in the field of repair and inspection. But also to bring together companies that have to deal with this topic.” An important cooperation partner is ACRATS Training Services. Director Rick van Opdorp explains: “At this location we want to bring composite maintenance to a higher level. We started in 2014 at the business park in collaboration with AM&TS, it gradually became so busy that we grew out of our jacket. By investing as a company in a new location, we hope that we as a business park will reap the benefits of this. Both here and at Fokker Services, the Air Force and students of the AM&TS who will be the future technicians.”
Roland van Dijk, CEO Fokker Services Group, one of the founders of DCMC, is pleased with the arrival of a centre of expertise: “This is a vital hub for innovation and cooperation between the various partners. By looking together at international developments, there is still a world to be won. We can only be successful in strengthening our ecosystem if our partners innovate with us. DCMC is a good example of this.” In the context of the official opening, Mayor Steven Adriaansen and Deputy Martijn
van Gruijthuijsen cut a ribbon, after which a toast is made to this beautiful initiative.
