Safran and Albany International Extend Strategic Cooperation on Advanced Composites
November 30, 2021 at 06:30 pm IST
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Safran Aircraft Engines and Albany International Corp. announced an agreement extending their partnership to the year 2046. Through this new agreement, the two companies declare their intent to work together on the next generation engines and thus contribute to the 2050 net-zero CO2 emissions commitment of the aviation industry. Albany International and Safran signed the original framework agreement in 2006 resulting in the creation of their joint venture for the development of high technology composite parts (3D woven and Resin Transfer Molded technologies) designed for aircraft engines, landing gears and nacelles. The 3D-woven composite technology designed and developed by Safran in partnership with Albany Engineered Composites, is a major innovation that plays a key role in improving the performance of the new generation LEAP engine of CFM International1, which powers the Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX and Comac C919 aircraft families. This advanced material is used to manufacture the fan blades, fan case and spacers of the LEAP engine, leading to significant weight savings and contributing to reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of 15%. Safran and Albany have also teamed-up to work on the development and production of the GE9X 3D composite fan case for the Boeing 777X.
Albany International Corp. is a global advanced textiles and materials processing company. Its segments include Machine Clothing (MC) and Albany Engineered Composites (AEC). The MC segment supplies consumable permeable and impermeable belts used in the manufacture of paper, paperboard, tissue and towel, pulp, nonwovens, fiber cement and several other industrial applications. It designs, manufactures, and markets paper machine clothing for each section of the paper machine and for every grade of paper. The MC segment also supplies engineered processing belts used in the manufacturing process in the pulp, corrugator, nonwovens, fiber cement, building products, and textile industries. The AEC segment provides engineered, advanced composite structures to customers in the commercial and defense aerospace industries. The AEC segment includes Albany Safran Composites, LLC. AEC also supplies vacuum waste tanks for most Boeing commercial aircraft, as well as the fan case for the GE9X engine.