Boeing and State Corporation Russian Technologies (Rostech) are working on an agreement to expand collaboration in titanium procurement and technology development.
Rostech is a majority shareholder in the joint stock company VSMPO-AVISMA Corp, the world’s largest titanium producer, occupying more than 25 per cent of the world titanium market and the major supplier of titanium to Russia.
“Rostech has been a reliable and valuable partner to Boeing in Russia for many years, and together we achieve results that allow us to grow our businesses,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer, Ray Conner. “Boeing and Rostech are working hard to further expand our partnership and our mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Boeing and VSMPO-AVISMA are considering expansion of their titanium-production joint venture Ural Boeing Manufacturing (UBM) to support ongoing production increases for the Next-Generation 737. UBM has purchased four new advanced-technology machines to increase capacity for machining Next-Generation 737 landing gear beams. The machines are scheduled for installation in 2013.
“Cooperation with Boeing allows us to offer new technological solutions for the global market. Today VSMPO-AVISMA is one of the largest titanium suppliers to Boeing and its key partner in the field of new alloy development,” said chairman of the board of VSMPO-AVISMA and chief executive officer of Russian Technologies Corp, Sergey Chemezov. “In recent years, the partners have developed three new technologies in a joint innovation center. Extending cooperation with Boeing will help us create even better and more competitive solutions for the global aviation industry.”
