March 26--MUMBAI -- Bangalore-based Dynamatic Technologies Ltd has secured a contract to supply Toulouse-based plane maker Airbus SAS with flap track beams for long-range aircraft variants belonging to the Airbus A330 family.
This contract makes Dynamatic Technologies the first company in the Indian private sector to become a global Tier I supplier to Airbus.
The flaps on the wings, which are instrumental in controlling the speed, direction and balance of the aircraft, move along high-tech guide rails known as flap track beams.
These flap track beams are so-called "Class 1 Flight Critical Assemblies" that are connected to the wings. Dynamatic Technologies will supply four out of five flap track beams used on every A330 aircraft wing.
The Indian company has been producing flap track beam assemblies for the Airbus single aisle (Airbus A320) aircraft family on a global single source basis since 2008 as a Tier II supplier to Airbus.
Tier I would mean Dynamatic Technologies would now directly supply beams to Airbus, becoming the first private company to do so.
On 12 March, Srinivasan Dwarakanath, chief executive officer of Airbus India, had said that Dynamatics had delivered around 10,500 beams till date.
"The long range flap track beam order is a significant milestone and validates our ability to deliver high quality work in aeronautic manufacturing" said Udayant Malhoutra, chief executive officer and managing director, Dynamatic Technologies. Malhoutra did not disclose the value of the contract.
"This contract will enable the company to supply roughly 600 set of beams a year from 475 beams at present. Currently, the aerospace vertical has a sales of Rs215 crore and with this and two other existing contracts we are aiming to touch Rs360 crore in 24 months and Rs500 crore in 36 months," he said in a telephone interview.
Dwarakanath of Airbus India said his company is working with various Indian technology companies to source components from India.
To be sure, it is not just Airbus that is trying to localize component sourcing. General Electric Co. (GE) of the US is also setting up a multi-modular manufacturing facility in Pune envisaging an investment of $200 million.
"Though it is premature to make a statement that we would be manufacturing a complete aircraft engine here in Pune, we would be certainly making critical parts from this facility. Key parts of all types of aircraft engines are going to be built from this facility," said Nalin Jain, president and chief executive officer (South Asia) at GE's transportation/aviation unit.
Jain said this would be a multipurpose facility producing components of aircraft engines, gas turbines, compressors for the oil and gas industry, wind turbine generators and diesel engines for locomotives. "We are in the process of deciding how we play manufacturing in India," Jain said.
GE's Indian unit is setting up the facility at the Chakan industrial area near Pune over 68 acres. The firm currently has a research and development centre in Bangalore that employs more than 4,000 scientists, researchers and engineers.
The US-based aircraft engine maker Pratt and Whitney Inc. is also sourcing materials from India. "We are evaluating manufacturing components in India in future. As of now, nothing has been finalized," said Palash Roy Chowdhury, managing director (India) of Pratt and Whitney.
Chowdhury said his company is working with Indian companies such as Infotech Enterprises Ltd and Aequs (formerly QuEST Global Manufacturing), besides 1,500 engineers conducting high-end research for Pratt and Whitney on different aircraft engines.
Chowdhury added that his company is also closely working with the Tata Group to make helicopter cabins and partnering with institutions such as Indian Institutes of Management for research.
Plane maker The Boeing Co. of the US is also tying up with Indian companies to source components from India.
Copyright 2014 - Mint, New Delhi
