Flight control surface and engine actuation has traditionally been accomplished with hydraulic systems but these tend to be heavy, with limited dynamic response. The current trend is to replace these systems with lighter, electromechanical, alternatives which give high dynamic response and improved reliability.

Fuel efficiency can be increased by reducing the weight of actuation components and subsystems, leading to lighter airframes and lower engine outputs. More precise engine actuation (eg, on inlet vanes), ensures that engines are always operating at or near their optimum power/efficiency point.

Aircraft systems operate in exceptionally hostile environments. Embedded engine components such as starter/alternators undergo temperatures in excess of 300ºC and must be designed to withstand very high rotational speeds. Conversely, flight surface actuators experience extremely low temperatures and are designed for very high loads.

EMX has many years' experience of designing for aerospece applications where, irrespective of the operating environment, reliability and inherent fault tolerance are always high on the list of essential attributes. Advanced materials, novel topologies and a high degree of innovation are required to produce machine designs which meet all the requirements.