Boeing expands the project capacity of Tianjin
As Boeing sees the demand for light-weight materials rising substantially, the aircraft maker said on Nov 19 that it would invest $21 million to expand the capacity of its composite material joint venture in Tianjin. The company will increase the capacity of Boeing Tianjin Composites Co Ltd by 60 percent and add workforce from 600 to 1,000 by 2013.
By acquiring the 40 percent share held by advanced composites maker Hexcel Corp, Boeing boosted its stake in the joint venture to 88 percent in July, while the remaining stake is held by China Aviation.
David Wang, president of Boeing China said, “The aviation industry is currently grappling with oil and financial crises. In such a scenario, the efficiency of aircraft becomes even more important.” He noted that they could see bright prospect for the Tianjin unit because of the increasing demand from aircraft makers.
Located in Binhai New Area, the Tianjin factory began its operation in 2002 and provides composite secondary structures and interior parts for B737, B747, B767, B777 and the B787 Dreamliner aircrafts. It delivers about 4,000 parts each month. Its customers include Boeing, Hexcel, Shanghai Aviation Industry Corp, Xi’an Aviation Industry Corp, Goodrich, Korean Aerospace Industries and Vought Aircraft Industries. According to Carolyn Corvi, vice-president and general manager of Airplane Programs, Boeing Commercial Airplane, there would be more opportunities to do more complex work in Tianjin if the performance and capability of the factory continues to improve. He said, “We hope this facility will eventually become a supplier for China’s large airplanes.”
To break the market duopoly of Boeing and Airbus, China plans to develop the world’s most popular type of jet with 130- to 200-seat. And it is expected to be realized during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2015-20) of China.
Airbus, which is Boeing’s European rival, is also looking to build a composites joint venture with Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co (HAIG) early next year, which is the largest manufacturer of composite material for airplane in China. Due to enter service in 2013, the venture will provide composite materials for Airbus A320 and also participate in the industrialization and serial production of the A350 XWB work packages.
Because of better fatigue and corrosion resistance along with higher strength-weight ratios, composite materials are becoming more and more important in aerospace components.
The B787 is the first airliner to use most of composite materials for construction. More than half of the primary structure is made of composite materials including wings and fuselage. The A350 XWB will be the first Airbus aircraft to use carbon fiber reinforced plastic with wings and fuselage included.
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