LEICESTER, ENGLAND (Aug. 7, 2003) … McKechnie Aerospace’s Fastener Group has expanded its unique “late configuration” fastener program to support new space, satellite and aerospace customers. The program, which dramatically reduces the lead-time required for specifying fasteners, has been used successfully by a major European satellite company for the past 3 years.
The program was originally conceived through a process the company calls Solutioneering to solve problems caused by the relatively long lead times associated with fasteners custom configured to exactly meet the protrusion of one full thread above the nut requirements. Historically, supplier lead times have been 12 to 24 weeks, often causing problems due to design changes during final assembly. Under the program offered by McKechnie Aerospace, the lead-time was reduced to typically just four weeks or less. To accomplish this, the company manufactures the custom fasteners from titanium and steel blanks stocked in all commonly used diameters. After manufacturing to exact length, the fasteners quickly undergo all final laboratory, tensile, and hardness tests per customer requirement.
Through the process of solutioneering, McKechnie Aerospace companies work in close partnership with airframe and engine manufacturers and their subcontractors in the creation of new products. In addition, Group member companies work extensively with the world¹s commercial operators, MROs, corporate operators and FBOs in the on-going analysis of product performance and in the development of product enhancements. By integrating each of the heritage companies into coordinated groups, this full-cycle approach affords McKechnie Aerospace an integrated feedback system that makes the company unique in the aerospace community and an exceptionally strong partner in the collaborative solutioneering of next generation systems. Already, McKechnie Aerospace can site many successes in helping airframe, engine, and supporting manufacturers meet difficult challenges with innovative "first to market" solutions, and is in the top five in terms of value-added PMAs.
By reducing the lead-time of the fasteners, McKechnie allows its customers to specify the fasteners while actually in assembly, optimizing the lengths and corresponding weight of fasteners used. Major space manufacturers benefit from increased design flexibility and a reduction in weight, while airframe manufacturers can utilize the program to both reduce weight and reduce the amount of inventory on hand.
For more information on this product, contact Paul Brown (in Europe) at +44 1527 830 000 or Bill White (in North America) at 1.818.364.6075.
For more information on the unit, contact: Michael King, King Group. Phone: 805.462.3000. E-mail: mking@kinggroup.com
