More than 35,000 feet above the Earth’s surface, the PW1200G and PW1700G geared turbofan engines—used mainly for regional jets—are relied on to safely fly passengers from one airport to the next. But before these planes took off, we created a process to produce several assembly components for the structural guide vanes used in the engines, including both the carbon fiber airfoil and titanium ID and OD fittings.
By connecting the engine core to the fan case, these guide vanes play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the engine. During the development of the PW1200G and PW1700G engines, structural guide vane assemblies were designed using carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) co-molded with select metallic components. These composite structures were then assembled with titanium inner and outer diameter fittings to deliver strength, rigidity, and weight efficiency.
We developed the process to 5-axis machine these CFRP structural guide vanes. This included significant surfacing of large portions requiring tight tolerances for proper assembly. Today, our continued successful relationship with our customer has positioned us as the exclusive machining supplier for these structural guide vanes, as well as the go-to shop for all long-term production requirements for these engines.
After we proved ourselves as trusted suppliers to our customers, we were brought in to supplement non-performing suppliers of development parts for the titanium ID and OD fittings.
Over the course of several years, we stayed committed to investing in risk mitigation planning, NPI and other CI processes. We rigorously measured our product quality, on-time performance and customer satisfaction, and were given an increasing share of development and production needs. Eventually, we were awarded 100% of all long-term production requirements for the titanium fittings used in the structural guide vane assemblies.
In addition to our risk mitigation, NPI and CI processes, we used the following expertise to successfully develop and produce these titanium fittings:
This certification incorporates ISO 9001 standards and demonstrates that our production facility meets quality system requirements for the aerospace industry.
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