Ural Boeing Venture Starts Titanium Work
Click here for more news / Clique aqui para mais notícias
Alexey Komarov/Moscow kom@ato.ru
Boeing Co. and VSMPO-Avisma, a Russian titanium producer, launched production yesterday of semi-finished titanium products for the Boeing 787 as part of a joint venture formed in 2007--Ural Boeing Manufacturing (UBM).
Construction of a $70 million plant to serve the venture was started in 2007. Since then, the team has completed building the new facility and installing high-tech milling machines and tools. Although both sides initially started from equal participation in the project, Boeing has received clearance to increase its share to as much as 69.5% from Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service.
UBM is to perform initial machining of forgings provided by VSMPO's titanium mill. Boeing's Portland, Oregon, plant and other machining subcontractors will finish titanium parts manufacturing. This new facility in Russia is expected to reach full production rate next year.
VSMPO-Avisma already has been exporting almost 70% of its products to Airbus and Boeing, as well as some other aerospace companies. In 2007, VSMPO produced 27,500 metric tons of titanium. A 66% share of the manufacturer is controlled by the Russian Technologies State Corporation, a state-owned holding company, which is consolidating the country's high-technology and defense industry segments.
"The opening of UBM represents another step in a relationship between VSMPO and Boeing that began in 1997," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "VSMPO-Avisma and Russian Technologies continue to be Boeing's largest partners in Russia. I am certain that UBM will be a successful enterprise, delivering high-quality products and adding value to the 787 program."
Boeing forecasts that over the next 30 years it will spend as much as $27 billion on Russian titanium, aerospace design-engineering services, and a variety of other services and materials.
787 artist's concept: Boeing
