Efficiency increase at Cesa Héroux Devtek through WFL Millturns

Aviation Industry Four WFL Millturns Reduce Setup Times and Increase Autonomy

2025-12-15 Source: Press release | Translated by AI 4 min Reading Time

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The Spanish company Cesa Héroux Devtek operates four Millturns from WFL and can reduce working hours with advanced adjustments.

Cesa Héroux Devtek processes complex pistons on the WFL machines, measuring up to 2 meters in length, with a diameter of 56 millimeters and a wall thickness of 2.8 millimeters.(Image: WFL) — Cesa Héroux Devtek processes complex pistons on the WFL machines, measuring up to 2 meters in length, with a diameter of 56 millimeters and a wall thickness of 2.8 millimeters.
(Image: WFL)

Cesa, Compañía Española de Sistemas Aeronáuticas S.A.U, is an international company that belongs to the Canadian group Héroux-Devtek and is currently known as Héroux Devtek Spain (HD Spain). Its main activities include the design, development, production, maintenance, and support of products for hydraulic and drive systems. Hydraulic and electromechanical technologies are used in a wide range of applications, from flight controls to landing gear actuations and cargo doors.

Two M35-G/1800 millimeters and two M100/3000 millimeters are located in the production hall of Cesa Héroux Devtek. "The machines we have in our plant were purchased considering the type of parts to be machined and in search of process improvements. We are machining complex pistons up to 2 meters (~6.56 feet) in length, with a diameter of 56 millimeters (~2.20 inches) and a wall thickness of 2.8 millimeters (~0.11 inches)," emphasizes Iñigo Meseguer on the decisions for the WFL machines. The parts produced on these machines are used in aviation. This mainly involves hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic pistons, and structural parts such as pins, rotary joints, or wheel axles for landing gear. The batch sizes range from 8 to 16 pieces.

Gallery

The tool magazine impresses with its simple operability from the front of the machine as well as maximum reliability and safety. Tools can be conveniently upgraded, downgraded, and maintained during machining.(Image: WFL)

Among other things, landing gear is manufactured in the WFL machines.(Image: WFL)

Programmer Jesús Medrano with production manager Iñigo Meseguer.(Image: WFL)

The Overall Package Convinced

To achieve the best possible results, the WFL machines had to meet certain requirements that ultimately influenced the purchase decision. Chief among them were the robustness and precision of the Millturn, as well as the automation capabilities.

Cesa Héroux Devtek wanted to optimize the process: "Efficiency and combo, as we call it, are very important criteria for us," says Iñigo Meseguer. The term "combo" means that one operator is responsible for two to three Millturns.

Our operators are highly skilled and can work on multiple machines simultaneously. This, in turn, forces us to strive for efficiency in the processes so that machine downtime can be kept to a minimum.

Iñigo Meseguer, Produktionsleiter, Cesa Héroux Devtek

The future of automation for the type of parts like those at Cesa Héroux Devtek lies in minimizing setup times on a halted machine as much as possible, ensuring that the machine operates autonomously for as long as possible, and that the stop is programmed with the operator being warned in advance.

In this sense, the company has developed a warning system that communicates with the machines and alerts the operator when the machine stops, indicating the action to be performed. Iñigo Meseguer states: "This process is also part of digitalization and sustainability, as we work paperless in our factory, meaning we have removed paper from the cells, and everything is digital."

Lathes, machining centers, and in some cases grinding machines, as well as the fact that machining processes were simplified through the standardization of operations, were the answers to the question of which machines or processes were replaced by the Millturns.

"We can definitely say that we have found in WFL what we were looking for and needed: namely a very good solution for our products," emphasizes Iñigo Meseguer.

"The service from WFL is one of the best out there," praises Iñigo Meseguer, adding: "The experts reachable through the service hotline impress across the board with their fast and direct support. We also have SIAISA, which represents WFL in Spain, and they are dedicated and responsive, helping us find solutions to problems."

Automation, Digitalization, and Sustainability

In terms of automation, digitalization, and sustainability, Cesa Héroux Devtek has come a long way. "Our main goal is to grow as an industry leader and exceed the expectations of our current and potential customers through dedication and constant commitment, and this can only be achieved by focusing on automation, digitalization, sustainability, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence. In this regard, we already have experience with internal developments dating back to 2021, where, internally at Cesa, I collaborated with the LEAN team to develop visual recognition based on convolutional neural networks, opening the way to new horizons in machining and surface treatment. We are on this path, and I am confident that this technology will undoubtedly help us make 'smarter' decisions in routine processes, detect anomalies in real time, work on predictive maintenance, enhance our efficiency, and equip Cesa with dynamic capabilities that are undoubtedly key for companies that know how to adapt to adversity," says Iñigo Meseguer confidently.

History of Cesa

Cesa was founded in 1989 on the initiative of the Spanish government to enhance the international position of the Spanish aviation accessories industry as a result of its involvement in the Eurofighter program and to develop, manufacture, and maintain products and systems for aircraft. In 2007, Cesa consolidated its operations with the opening of a new facility in Seville, Spain, dedicated to MRO and services. In 2018, Héroux-Devtek acquired 100 percent of Cesa’s shares from Airbus Defence & Space. From that point on, the company became part of the Héroux-Devtek group and operates under the name Héroux-Devtek Spain (HD Spain).

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This expands the Héroux-Devtek group, the world’s third-largest company specializing in landing gear development, by broadening its product and service range in the field of hydraulic and actuation systems and incorporating new technologies such as electromechanical actuation into its portfolio. The Héroux-Devtek group operates 15 facilities across North America and Europe and currently employs a total of 1,800 people.

Héroux-Devtek Spain constantly optimizes its engineering, certification, and manufacturing capabilities to develop high-quality products and services in the field of civil and military aviation.