Collins Aerospace is expanding its facility for producing carbon brakes for military and civilian aircraft in Spokane, Washington. (Collins Aerospace)
Collins Aerospace is expanding production of carbon brakes for military and civilian aircraft at its facility in Spokane, Washington. The USD200 million investment is expected to expand the site by more than 50%, adding 70,000 ft 2 (6,500 m 2 ) of additional manufacturing space, said a Collins Aerospace statement on 28 May. This includes as many as three new buildings and additional furnaces.
The Spokane site specialises in the production and manufacturing of braking systems with Collins Aerospace's Duracarb carbon disk technology, a heat sink material that offers lighter weight without reducing durability, according to the company website. The brakes operate with lower brake fluid temperatures to enhance safety and extend service life. Increased brake life reduces overall costs, the statement said.
The expansion is in response to increased demand from military and commercial customers, Nichol Savko, the general manager of the Spokane facility, told Janes on 30 May. This growing demand may be a result of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, she said. Collins Aerospace has three carbon facilities (the others are in Pueblo, Colorado and Sante Fe Springs, California) and balances demand across them in support of multiple programmes. Production covers domestic and international military and civilian newbuild aircraft programmes as well as aftermarket needs, Savko said.
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