Smiths Aerospace has started manufacturing at the second phase of its aerostructures facility in Suzhou, Jiang Su province, China. The company expects to go live with deliveries of composite materials to civil aircraft customers at the end of this year and with complex sheet metal products at the start of next year.
The company is discussing further manufacturing plans for the site. “We are already committed to providing around 40% each of the high-lift systems and landing-gear systems for the Boeing 787 from the site,” says John Payne, operations director for Smiths Aerospace’s mechanical systems division. The company completed construction of the second 6,220m2 (67,000ft2 ) building at the site near Shanghai in May.
Source: Flight International
