WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Spirit AeroSystems
[NYSE: SPR] announced the receipt of its first
additive-manufactured, titanium, structural component for the
Boeing 787. The part, a back-up fitting for an access door latch,
has been machined and finished at Spirit's Wichita site, and installed in a 787 forward
fuselage. The forward fuselage will ship to Boeing's final assembly
facility in January.
The milestone follows more than nine years of collaboration on
technology innovations and applications between Spirit and Norsk
Titanium (NTi).
"Integrating additive manufacturing capability into our
production system to build end-use titanium parts expands Spirit's
fabrication capabilities and puts us at the forefront of advanced
manufacturing," said Kevin Matthies,
Spirit AeroSystems senior vice president of Global Fabrication.
"With our Norsk collaboration, Spirit is bringing the power and
benefits of additive manufacturing in support of our
customers."
An advanced form of 3D-printing, NTi's proprietary plasma arc
Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) technology is used to build up the
parts to a near-net shape, minimizing waste, using less energy and
significantly reducing product costs. NTi creates near-net shaped
components; Spirit then performs final machining, finishing,
inspection and installation.
Spirit AeroSystems is one of the largest manufacturers of
fabricated parts for the aerospace industry. The company delivers a
fully-integrated forward fuselage structure on the 787 program,
with all flight controls tested and installed. The composite
forward fuselage section is built using automated fiber placement
machines, winding composite tape into a one-piece fuselage
section.
Spirit employs about 16,000 people worldwide designing and
building complex aerostructures for the world's most recognizable
airplanes. Spirit builds the forward fuselage section of every
Boeing commercial airplane in production today, as well as wing and
propulsion components.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero
About Spirit AeroSystems
Spirit AeroSystems designs
and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense
customers. With headquarters in Wichita,
Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S., U.K.,
France and Malaysia. The company's core products include
fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components for the world's
premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on affordable,
innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to
support customers around the globe. More information is available
at www.spiritaero.com.
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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Inc.