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Orbital to supply stringers & frames for A350 program

25 Jul '15

3 min read

Orbital ATK has finalised an agreement with Airbus to expand its current contract to include the manufacture of composite stringers and frames on the 1000 variant of the A350 program.

Orbital, a producer of aerospace and defense technologies said this new agreement adds to the work already being performed on the A350 program.

“This agreement builds on Orbital ATK's valuable working relationship with Airbus and its partners,” an Orbital press release said.

The Aerospace Structures Division of Orbital ATK's Flight Systems Group is executing the A350 program at its state-of-the-art Aircraft Commercial Center of Excellence facility in Clearfield, Utah.

“Our work with Airbus is an important component of growth for Orbital ATK in the commercial aerospace structures business,” said Steve Earl, vice president of Orbital's Aerospace Structures Division.

“We are excited about the possibilities the 1000 variant presents, and our team is eager to continue our long-term partnership with Airbus on the A350 program,” Earl noted.

Orbital ATK is currently producing composite stringers and frames for the A350-900 and has successfully delivered more than 44,000 parts since the inception of the program.

“The execution of these early program deliveries demonstrates Orbital ATK's ability to meet customers' high quality standards and schedule requirements,” Earl added.

He further said that the company is fully prepared to meet the planned production rate increases over the next several years to support Airbus' A350 program delivery schedule.

Orbital ATK expects that the contract expansion will require future hiring of additional professional and manufacturing employees, benefiting the local job market in Utah.

Orbital ATK's proprietary process has been instrumental in the development and manufacture of high-rate production composite stringers and frames.

This highly engineered technology is essential to manufacture the A350 composite stringers and frames, which enables Orbital ATK to produce extremely high quality and dimensionally precise composite components.

Orbital ATK designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier.

Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems, precision weapons, armament systems, satellites, associated space components and services and advanced aerospace structures.

Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs more than 12,000 people in 20 states across the US and in several international locations. (AR)

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