Space technology

How did we get to space in the first place?

The founder and former CEO of our company, György Oláh, started to establish close contacts with the materials science and space research research centres in Hungary a few decades ago. Fortunately, these have resulted in fruitful collaborations to this day. We have always seen research institutes as magical places. Where in the back of the lab, in its hidden little nooks and crannies, there are always a few people up to some devious trick. They always have an idea for a new research project, and they need the tools to do it. Well, that’s where we come in. Our very first enquiry was for the production of a capsule used in an experiment on the International Space Station. In the context of the so-called FOCUS project, we made some capsules for experiments in materials science.

Domestic aerospace companies have given each other the scoop

Later on, we were also approached by Admatis Ltd. to be their supplier for the production of space components designed by them, which were launched into space as precision machined parts for the SENTINEL 1 and 2 satellites. In this R&D project, we developed the manufacturing technology to produce precision machined parts from extremely resistant materials with scandalously low weight and thin walls. In this joint project, we have demonstrated to them that our company is capable of producing the quality of parts that the space industry demands. We have produced several vacuum chambers and space simulators that are used for bake-out tests. During a bake-out test, high temperatures and vacuum are used to remove volatile compounds and impurities from the materials.

The ideal constellation for us is the unique or medium series

All of our company’s equipment, facilities, knowledge and operations are optimized for custom and medium series production. This means that we can make up to 1 part from a single type of part. This means that we can safely handle medium series, up to 2-3,000 pieces per year. To produce larger quantities than this requires machines of a completely different calibre and different processes. We don’t have that, so we don’t do high-volume work. Our greatest experience is in medium and one-off production. This is our superpower.

Test the soul of everything

No really special machines are needed to make space industry parts. Here, you need to be very, very tech-savvy. To meet the most stringent tolerances, we also regularly use a 3D measuring machine that can measure parts with micron precision. At the same time, we are committed to continuous improvement. We are in weekly personal contact with our tool supplier partner, with whom we are constantly testing new developments. This is a great help for us, as it allows us to keep up to date with technological developments. We give priority to this area, because innovations can save us a lot of time in production, increasing our efficiency.

Who are the people behind the machines?

Our colleagues have typically been with us for 5-10 years, but the professional hard core has been with us since the start, spanning more than 25 years. We are a true family business and we are very proud that two of our mechanical engineers hold internationally protected patents.
At Goodwill, we are very careful to only work with well-trained professionals and we expect new recruits to have at least 4-5 years manufacturing experience. We believe that it is people skills and hard work that bring us success year after year. This is also the reason why we have created thousands of machined parts and produced 2,000 aerospace parts in the last 5 years alone.

That’s how the machinery gets really well-oiled

Our supplier network focuses on strategic partnerships. Most of them we have been working with for years. It’s essential to know that whatever happens, our suppliers will always meet the quality and deadlines that we represent to our customers.
Nowadays, unfortunately, there is very little time left for the production of machined parts after design. Only a well-functioning, well-oiled machine can handle this. Fortunately, our returning customers already know that we have this and that’s why they vote us their confidence for projects with short deadlines.
We don’t sell a pig in a poke. If we see that we can’t do something by the requested deadline, we’ll be upfront about it when we give you the quote and we’ll tell you when we’re sure we can commit to the project.

We are stuck here forever, in weightlessness

Over the years, we have grown very fond of this field because it presents us with professional challenges that we like to take on. That is why we also like to participate in professional conferences and international events. We have exhibited at MIDEST in Paris in 2018 and Lyon in 2019, and we also participated at MACH TECH in the Czech Republic. Also in 2019, we were represented at the International Space Agency (ESA) professional day in Budapest.
We are also members of several professional clusters. Among others, HUNSPACE, which is the Hungarian Space Industry Cluster. We were honoured to be included in the annual publication of the Hungarian Astronautical Society in 2021. A special feature of the publication is that only Hungarian space industry manufacturers and research centres that meet the prequalification criteria can be included.

Our technologies:

We provide our customers with high quality manufacturing and engineering services.
Many of our technologies are available in-house and over the years we have also built up a wide and reliable supplier network to provide the widest possible range of services to our customers.