Sintavia LLC, a designer and additive manufacturer of complex mechanical systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries, has been awarded a contract from Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. to develop a dedicated additive-manufacturing (AM) facility in support of the United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The vertically integrated facility will develop and additively manufacture advanced nuclear propulsion systems for both in-production and in-development submarine programs of the Navy, including the next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine. The facility, located in Hollywood, Fla., is expected to open in the second quarter of 2023.
“As the U.S. Navy looks to develop advanced submarine platforms, it is imperative that additive technology plays a central role in that development. We are committed to the success of these Navy programs,” said Brian Neff, Sintavia’s founder and CEO.

There was a big announcement out of West Virginia in September that you may have missed. It was particularly big news for the aerospace industry.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that BHE Renewables, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy business, entered into an agreement with the State of West Virginia to purchase more than 2,000 acres of land in Ravenswood, W.V., to be developed as a first-of-its-kind renewable-energy microgrid-powered industrial site. Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC), a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. business, will be the first company to locate on the site and will develop a titanium melting facility that will use 100% renewable energy to manufacture titanium products for the aerospace industry.

GE announced its plan to form three global public companies focused on the growth sectors of aviation, energy and healthcare. The company will combine GE Renewable Energy, GE Power and GE Digital into one business, positioned to lead the energy transition, and then pursue a tax-free spin-off of this business in early 2024. GE will pursue a tax-free spin-off of GE Healthcare, creating a pure-play company at the center of precision health in early 2023. Following these transactions, GE will be an aviation-focused company shaping the future of flight.

As we ease back into the increasingly unfriendly skies, Google has launched a tool to help us all – a flight search engine that tells us the emissions per passenger for that trip. Google is catching up to a reality the airlines and their aircraft and parts manufacturers are coming to realize: Just as governments target passenger vehicle emissions, they are increasingly focused on the aviation industry.

It’s already November, which means it’s the time of year that we shine a spotlight on the aerospace segment of our industry. Aerospace involves such things as commercial jets, military, space travel, satellites and a variety of equipment (e.g., planes, helicopters, rockets, drones, etc.).

As part of an expansion and reorganization of its parts manufacturing and fabrication areas, Duncan Aviation created a new division called Duncan Manufacturing Solutions (DMS). The company invested more than $4 million in the 21,000-square-foot DMS facility, which was built adjacent to its Turbine Engine Overhaul Shop in Lincoln, Neb. The company added more equipment to supplement its previous capabilities and machinery to allow for heat treatment, CNC milling, waterjet cutting, metal pressing and engraving. DMS brought heat-treating capabilities in-house with the addition of two industrial ovens capable of heat treating aluminum, stainless steel, tool steel and titanium.

Solar Atmospheres’ Greenville, S.C., facility has been awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne approval, their second aerospace prime approval of 2021. With the ability to support vacuum thermal-processing needs ranging from development cycles to 50,000-pound loads at temperatures of up to 2400°F, Solar Atmospheres provides AS9100 and Nadcap-quality accredited heat treatments.

Aerospace Material Specification 2750 (AMS 2750) is the main pyrometry specification that provides the requirements for the calibration and testing of thermal-processing equipment.