Boeing has awarded a multiyear contract to LMI Aerospace's composite operation in Everett for thermoplastic composite parts.
The components are for Boeing 747, 767 and 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2019, LMI Aerospace said in a news release.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are pleased to help expand Boeing's supply base for this lightweight and cost-effective technology," Don McEwen, general manager of LMI's Everett composite and testing facility. "Our thermoplastics work also expands LMI's portfolio of composite fabrication and assembly manufacturing work."
Photos by Anthony Bolante | PSBJ
LMI's Everett operation was established in 1989 as Integrated Technologies and was acquired by LMI Aerospace in 2009.
Chicago-based Boeing qualified LMI Aerospace's Everett operation to be a supplier of thermoplastic composite parts for the jet maker in 2017. LMI supplies other thermoset component packages (another type of composite parts) to Boeing for its 787 Dreamliner, 777X, the 767-based KC-46 aerial refueling tanker and V-22 Osprey aircraft programs.
Boeing has started production of its 777X widebody jet, which has fuel-efficiency features like carbon-fiber-composite wings and higher capacity than the Boeing 777-300ER (extended range).
It's also a supplier for aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. and Gulfstream.
The Everett site performs composite testing, research and development, and manufacturing for U.S. and international aerospace customers.
Thermoplastic composite materials are being increasingly used in the aerospace industry because they generate big costs savings when produced compared to thermoset composites and advanced metals, LMI said. These savings are especially realized on smaller airplane parts, where final finishing work on parts formed from other materials can significantly increase unit cost, LMI Aerospace says.
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg's compensation increased 22 percent over the year before.
LMI said it also achieves cost savings by using automated technology in the production process and by designing tools so parts can be produced in batches.
Based in St. Charles, Missouri, LMI Aerospace is now a unit of the Belgian aerospace giant Sonaca Group, a global aerostructures company headquartered in Gosselies, Belgium. LMI also has facilities in Auburn.
Full-time WA employment 2016
| Rank | Prior Rank | Business name (prior rank) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | The Boeing Co. |
2 | 2 | Zodiac Aerospace |
3 | 2 | Aviation Technical Services |
