- Email: [email protected]
People
Industry news
Boeing delays 787 first flight BOEING HAS announced that the first flight of the 787 has been moved from the end of the first quarter of 2008 to around the end of the second quarter, to provide extra time to complete assembly of the first aircraft. Deliveries are now expected to begin in early 2009, rather than late 2008. “The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound,” says Scott Carson, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.“However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supplychain.” Carson says that while good progress has been made on the
10
assembly of the first aircraft, the rate at which jobs are being completed has not improved sufficiently to maintain the current schedule. “Our revised schedule is based upon updated assessments from the 787 management team of the progress we have made and the lessons we have learned to date," he says. "This includes our experience on the factory floor completing production work on the airplane that was originally intended to be done by our suppliers.” Over the next few weeks, Boeing says it will work with its customers and suppliers to assess the specific impacts of the
schedule change on the 787’s flight test programme and entry into service. This effort will include an assessment of supplier progress in meeting their commitments to deliver more complete assemblies on subsequent airplanes. Under 787 Vice President and General Manager Pat Shanahan, who assumed leadership of the 787 program last October, Boeing has provided additional resources to more effectively manage the 787 global supply chain. The company has assembled a team of experienced executives, business managers and planning specialists that will be based at the supplier partners, as well as in its own final assembly facility.
Reichhold constructs plant in India
OC sells two plants
UNSATURATED polyester resin producer Reichhold, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, has started construction of a manufacturing plant in India. The new facility at Ranjangoan, in Pune District of Maharashtra state, is scheduled for completion in September 2008. “Our entry into India with local manufacturing is another step in implementing our strategy of bringing Reichhold products and technology to our customers on a global basis” says Doug Frey, Executive VP, Global Composites. “We have long served India by importing from other regions but we now see the demand from global customers who are expanding to India as well as local fabricators reaching the point where this investment is a logical step forward.”
OWENS CORNING (OC) Toledo, Ohio, USA, says it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its composites manufacturing plants in Birkeland, Norway and Battice, Belgium, to Platinum Equity, a mergers and acquisitions company with headquarters in Beverly Hills, California. These plants had to be sold to address regulatory concerns associated with Owens Corning’s acquisition of Saint-Gobain’s Reinforcements and Composite Fabrics businesses in October last year. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close during the first quarter of this year.
REINFORCEDplastics
RP5205_p10_13.indd 10
“The composites market in India is continuously growing and we have received many customer requests for Reichhold technology and service from fabricators in this region,” notes Reichhold CFO Roger Willis, who also serves as Managing Director, Reichhold India Pvt Ltd. “We are committed to serving this expanding market by providing our customers with quality products at costeffective prices and sharing our technical expertise in polyester resins for a comprehensive range of applications.” The Indian facility joins manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. Reichhold; www.reichhold.com
Owens Corning; www.owenscorning.com Platinum Equity; www.platinumequity.com
"We have made significant progress in reducing parts shortages, improving fastener availability and achieving static and systems test milestones," says Shanahan. Boeing says there will be no impact from the schedule change on its 2007 financial results and the company does not expect the impact on 2008 earnings guidance to be significant. Financial guidance for 2009 now will be provided when the company issues its first quarter 2008 earnings report in late April, which will follow the assessment of the impact of 787 schedule changes. Boeing; www.boeing.com
People To underpin the start of aerospace manufacturing (see page 17), Quickstep has recently appointed three senior production staff members, all recruited from Airbus in the UK. Keith Brand has been appointed Clean Room Team Leader and Sean Scammell has been appointed as his assistant. Together, they have over 50 years’ experience in aerospace composites manufacturing. Brand and Scammell have spent the last 10 years with Airbus, focused on the development of new technologies for the manufacture of composite wing structures. They join Quickstep this month. A third representative from Airbus has been recruited to the role of Senior Production Manager, and will join Quickstep next month.
February 2008
06/02/2008 11:50:09
Boeing delays 787 first flight BOEING HAS announced that the first flight of the 787 has been moved from the end of the first quarter of 2008 to around the end of the second quarter, to provide extra time to complete assembly of the first aircraft. Deliveries are now expected to begin in early 2009, rather than late 2008. “The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound,” says Scott Carson, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.“However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supplychain.” Carson says that while good progress has been made on the
10
assembly of the first aircraft, the rate at which jobs are being completed has not improved sufficiently to maintain the current schedule. “Our revised schedule is based upon updated assessments from the 787 management team of the progress we have made and the lessons we have learned to date," he says. "This includes our experience on the factory floor completing production work on the airplane that was originally intended to be done by our suppliers.” Over the next few weeks, Boeing says it will work with its customers and suppliers to assess the specific impacts of the
schedule change on the 787’s flight test programme and entry into service. This effort will include an assessment of supplier progress in meeting their commitments to deliver more complete assemblies on subsequent airplanes. Under 787 Vice President and General Manager Pat Shanahan, who assumed leadership of the 787 program last October, Boeing has provided additional resources to more effectively manage the 787 global supply chain. The company has assembled a team of experienced executives, business managers and planning specialists that will be based at the supplier partners, as well as in its own final assembly facility.
Reichhold constructs plant in India
OC sells two plants
UNSATURATED polyester resin producer Reichhold, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, has started construction of a manufacturing plant in India. The new facility at Ranjangoan, in Pune District of Maharashtra state, is scheduled for completion in September 2008. “Our entry into India with local manufacturing is another step in implementing our strategy of bringing Reichhold products and technology to our customers on a global basis” says Doug Frey, Executive VP, Global Composites. “We have long served India by importing from other regions but we now see the demand from global customers who are expanding to India as well as local fabricators reaching the point where this investment is a logical step forward.”
OWENS CORNING (OC) Toledo, Ohio, USA, says it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its composites manufacturing plants in Birkeland, Norway and Battice, Belgium, to Platinum Equity, a mergers and acquisitions company with headquarters in Beverly Hills, California. These plants had to be sold to address regulatory concerns associated with Owens Corning’s acquisition of Saint-Gobain’s Reinforcements and Composite Fabrics businesses in October last year. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close during the first quarter of this year.
REINFORCEDplastics
RP5205_p10_13.indd 10
“The composites market in India is continuously growing and we have received many customer requests for Reichhold technology and service from fabricators in this region,” notes Reichhold CFO Roger Willis, who also serves as Managing Director, Reichhold India Pvt Ltd. “We are committed to serving this expanding market by providing our customers with quality products at costeffective prices and sharing our technical expertise in polyester resins for a comprehensive range of applications.” The Indian facility joins manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. Reichhold; www.reichhold.com
Owens Corning; www.owenscorning.com Platinum Equity; www.platinumequity.com
"We have made significant progress in reducing parts shortages, improving fastener availability and achieving static and systems test milestones," says Shanahan. Boeing says there will be no impact from the schedule change on its 2007 financial results and the company does not expect the impact on 2008 earnings guidance to be significant. Financial guidance for 2009 now will be provided when the company issues its first quarter 2008 earnings report in late April, which will follow the assessment of the impact of 787 schedule changes. Boeing; www.boeing.com
People To underpin the start of aerospace manufacturing (see page 17), Quickstep has recently appointed three senior production staff members, all recruited from Airbus in the UK. Keith Brand has been appointed Clean Room Team Leader and Sean Scammell has been appointed as his assistant. Together, they have over 50 years’ experience in aerospace composites manufacturing. Brand and Scammell have spent the last 10 years with Airbus, focused on the development of new technologies for the manufacture of composite wing structures. They join Quickstep this month. A third representative from Airbus has been recruited to the role of Senior Production Manager, and will join Quickstep next month.
February 2008
06/02/2008 11:50:09