Airbus has completed the first paint application on the A350F, requiring changes to its paint shop infrastructure, coating processes and aircraft handling systems to accommodate the new freighter.
The A350F has a fuselage length between the A350-900 and A350-1000, requiring a customised paint shop configuration. Airbus engineers developed a dedicated access module for the forward under-fuselage area and modified the masking system for the main deck cargo door.
The cargo door, which is the largest on an aircraft, can be masked and unmasked without opening it. This allows the painting process to be carried out while reducing the risk of damage to the door and surrounding structure.
Airbus has also introduced a digital zero-collision system for the automatic painting platform. The system uses 3D laser mapping and sensors to monitor the distance between the platform and aircraft. The platform automatically slows as it approaches the fuselage and stops approximately five centimetres from the aircraft surface.
According to Airbus industrial systems engineer Sebastien Casellas, the system has recorded no impacts since its implementation.
The A350F’s paint system also required changes because of the aircraft’s high composite content. More than 90 per cent of the aircraft’s surface is made from composite materials, which respond differently to temperature changes than metallic structures.
Airbus developed a new flexible external primer for the A350 family to accommodate thermal stresses in composite structures. The primer provides adhesion between the aircraft surface and subsequent paint layers and is also designed to allow paint stripping and repainting during the aircraft’s service life.
The paint system consists of several layers, including structural primer, external primer, intermediate coating, base coat and clear coat. Managing the thickness of these layers is important because additional paint adds weight to the aircraft.
Airbus estimates that dry-film paint can add approximately 400 to 500 kilograms to an A350. The A350F’s livery therefore combines conventional paint with printed adhesive films.
The adhesive films allow graphics and colours to be applied without adding multiple layers of paint or requiring extensive masking. The approach also reduces curing and drying requirements during the painting process.
The paint system serves functions beyond the aircraft’s external appearance. It protects composite structures from ultraviolet radiation and helps protect metallic components from corrosion. The coating system also provides resistance to fluids encountered during aircraft operations and maintenance, including jet fuel and deicing fluids.
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The A350F paint programme required coordination between Airbus’ engineering, manufacturing and paint shop teams to adapt the industrial process to the freighter’s dimensions and composite structure.
The modifications made for the first A350F provide a production process for applying the aircraft’s external coating system while controlling paint weight, protecting the composite airframe and maintaining access for future repainting and maintenance activities.
