Rolls-Royce is expanding control over manufacture of compressor blades for its engines with the setting up of a joint venture in northern Israel with two local companies and a large investment at its own factory in Scotland.
The new company, Techjet (Israel), will be 50% owned by the UK engine builder with Blades Technology holding 30% and Wertheimer the rest. R-R's investment in the venture, to be based in Tefen, will amount to around £6.4 million ($10.4 million).
The operation, which will use technology supplied by the Israeli companies, is to get under way early next year, making up to 450,000 compressor blades annually.
Blades Technology is already a compressor blade subcontractor to the engine builder, but the move is bad news for other suppliers destined to lose work as R-R moves a substantial portion of its requirement to Israel. Techjet will supply blades for the Trent, BMW-R-R BR700 series and International Aero Engines V2500 engines.
R-R is to invest £8 million at its Hillington blade-manufacturing site at Glasgow in Scotland. The investment will use similar technology to that being supplied by the Israeli companies.
Source: Flight International
