OEM News 04/17/2008

Articles

Boeing Revises 787 First Flight and Delivery Plans

Boeing has revised its plans for first flight and initial deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner, and has included additional schedule margins to reduce risk of further delays on the program.
Boeing said it has made significant progress assembling Airplane #1, but has rescheduled its first flight due to slower than expected completion of work that traveled from supplier facilities into Boeing's final assembly line, unanticipated rework, and the addition of margin into the testing schedule. The new delivery schedule is based on a more conservative production plan developed with the 787 partner team. That schedule now targets approximately 25 deliveries in 2009. Read More

Pratt & Whitney Begins Ground Testing On New Geared Turbofan Engine

Pratt & Whitney has begun Phase II ground testing on its new Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine at the company's advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. Phase II of the ground test program will focus on engine performance and acoustic characteristics with a flight capable nacelle system prior to initiating flight testing mid-year. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. Read More

Ford Increases Production Of Focus Models At Wayne Assembly Plant

Ford Motor Company said North American production of the Ford Focus will increase by nearly 30 percent in 2008 to keep pace with strong demand for the newly redesigned small car. The new Focus – which delivers 35 miles per gallon and industry-first technology such as Ford SYNC™ - has been a hot seller since it began rolling off the assembly line at Ford's Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant in late 2007. Read More

Northrop Grumman Extends Build Schedule For Shipbuilding Program

Northrop Grumman said it expects to record a pre-tax charge to 2008 first quarter earnings of $320 to $360 million or $0.61 to $0.69 per diluted share, primarily reflecting a re-evaluation of its estimated schedule and cost to complete the LHD-8 amphibious assault ship, as well as resource impacts on other Gulf Coast ships, and an evaluation of purchased intangible assets associated with the Shipbuilding business.
The amount of the expected charge will be finalized upon conclusion of ongoing reviews and will be recorded in the Shipbuilding segment. The amount of the charge and updated 2008 financial guidance will be disclosed when Northrop Grumman issues its first quarter results later this month. The expected charge does not impact the company's previously announced 2012 financial targets Read More

B-SAT Awards Lockheed Martin Contract For BSAT-3B Satellite

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan to build its next geostationary telecommunications satellite. Designated BSAT-3b, the satellite will provide high-definition (HD) direct broadcast services throughout Japan following its scheduled launch the third quarter of 2010 aboard an Arianespace launch vehicle. BSAT-3b will be the second consecutive satellite order B-SAT has awarded to Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin successfully built and launched BSAT-3a in August 2007. Read More

Ford Targets Fuel Economy For Millions Of Production Vehicles

Andreas R. Schamel, Ford Motor Company's chief engineer for Research and Advanced Engineering, told SAE delegates how volume-based, near-term actions - such as Ford's upcoming EcoBoost engine technology - is expected to deliver real-world fuel economy improvements for millions of customers within the next five years. Read More

PPG Announces Price Increases for Fiber Glass

PPG Industries' fiber glass business announced April 15 it would raise prices effective May 1, or as permissible by contract, for products in the Americas. "Rising costs for energy, transportation, raw materials and precious metals create an economic hardship for our business and our industry that is affecting our ability to reinvest for the future," said Greg Benckart, PPG general manager, fiber glass. "PPG has invested significant capital to support the industry, with furnace rebuilds in our wholly-owned assets as well as new capacity in Asia. While we want to continue to invest in technology and capacity, we find ourselves in a position where current economics will not justify these necessary investments." Read More

Boeing Delivers First Laser JDAMs

The Boeing Company has delivered the first Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) kits to the U.S. Air Force. The Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS) kits are being produced to satisfy the Air Force and Navy's urgent need for engagement of fast-moving land targets. The initial $28 million LJDAM contract, awarded in May 2007, will add 600 laser seekers to the services' existing inventory of 500-pound bombs. Read More

Announcements

Welding Magazine and Welding Web Announce Launch Of Welding Theater

Welding Magazine and Welding Web are pleased to announce the beta launch of Welding Theater at www.weldingtheater.com. Think of it as YouTube for welders. It provides videos about welding process and equipment. In the not-too-distant future, it will also be open to the posting of amateur videos by anyone involved in the welding industry. Click Here For More Information