contact report - Aerospace Components Manufacturers

Aerospace Components Manufacturers, Inc.
P.O. Box 736, 1090 Elm Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067
(860) 513-3205

FAX (860) 529-5001
www.aerospacecomponents.org
E-mail: [email protected]
The ACM Update & Calendar (& previous issues) are also available on the website in the About ACM menu
Welcome New ACM Members
Bolton Aerospace,
a PAS Technologies Company
321 Progress Drive
Manchester, CT 06042
www.boltonaero.com
Ed Bagot, General Manager
Polamer Precision, Inc.
105 Alton Brooks Way
New Britain, CT 06053
www.polamer.us
Chris Galik, President
MEMBERSHIP
Company
A-1 Machining Company
AAA Aircraft Supply
ACMT, Inc.
AcuCut Inc.
Addaero Manufacturing LLC
Additive Manufacturing of New England
Advance Welding
Aero Gear, Inc.
AeroCision, LLC
Aerodyne Alloys, LLC
Aerospace Alloys Inc.
Aerospace Techniques Inc.
AGC Acquisition LLC
Alcoa Howmet
Alpha Q, Inc.
AMK Technical Services
Applus RTD
Arcor Laser Services, LLC
Armoloy of CT, Inc.
ATI East Hartford Operations
Atlas Stamping & Mfg Corp.
B&E Precision Aircraft Components
B&N Aerospace Inc.
Barnes Aerospace Windsor Division
Bauer, Inc.
Birken Manufacturing Company
BMS Aerospace
BodyCote Thermal Processing
Bolton Aerospace, a PAS Technologies Co.
Budney Aerospace, Inc.
Burke Precision Machine Co. Inc.
Cambridge Specialty Company, Inc.
Capewell Components LLC
CBS Manufacturing Co.
Location
New Britain
Enfield
Manchester
Southington
New Britain
Middletown
Springfield
Windsor
Chester
South Windsor
Bloomfield
Middletown
Meriden
Winsted
Colchester
South Windsor
Manchester
Suffield
Bristol
East Hartford
Newington
Southwick
Newington
Windsor
Bristol
Bloomfield
Southington
Berlin
Manchester
Berlin
East Granby
Berlin
South Windsor
East Granby
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Columbia Manufacturing, Inc.
CT Tool & Manufacturing Co.
Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies
CV Tool Company, Inc.
E/M Coating Services
Eckart & Finard, Inc.
EDAC Aero
Eur-Pac Corp.
Flanagan Industries
J.F. Fredericks Aero LLC
Forrest Machine Inc.
Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Solutions
GKN Aerospace Newington LLC
GKN Aerospace Services Structures Corp
Habco Industries LLC
Har-Conn Chrome Company
HEICO Hardware & Accessories Group
Hi-Speed Machine Products
Horst Engineering & Mfg Co.
Interstate Manufacturing Company Inc.
Jarvis Airfoil Inc.
Jonal Laboratories, Inc.
Kaman Precision Products
KamaticsRWG
Kell-Strom Tool Company
KTI, Inc.
Lean Value Solutions International
Lynn Welding Co., Inc.
Mallory Industries
MB Aerospace East Granby
Metal Finishing Technologies, LLC
Metals Testing Company
New England Heat Treating Service, LLC
New England Metal Finishing, Inc.
Location
Columbia
Plainville
East Windsor
Southington
New Britain
Hartford
Newington
Waterbury
Glastonbury
Farmington
Rocky Hill
Manchester
Newington
Cromwell
Glastonbury
West Hartford
Glastonbury
Windsor
East Hartford
Agawam
Portland
Meriden
Middletown
Bloomfield
Wethersfield
East Windsor
East Windsor
Newington
Farmington
East Granby
Bristol
South Windsor
Westfield
Windsor Locks
The World’s Aerospace Alley!
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New England Plasma Development Corp
Numet Machining Techniques, Inc.
Paradigm Precision
PCX Aerostructures, LLC
Peening Technologies of Connecticut
Peerless Precision, Inc.
Peerless Tool & Machine Co., Inc.
Pegasus Manufacturing Inc.
Perry Technology Corporation
Polamer Precision, Inc.
Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc.
Precision Threaded Products, Inc.
Progressive Alloy Steels Unlimited, LLC
PTI Industries Inc.
Richard's Machine Tool Co. Inc.
Senior Aero Connecticut
Service Steel Aerospace
Simtech, Inc.
Sirois Tool Co. Inc.
Space-Craft Manufacturing, Inc.
Spectrum Machine & Design LLC
Sterling Engineering Corp.
Technical Metal Finishing
The Lee Company
Timken Aerospace Drive Systems
TIMET
Trumpf, Inc.
Turbine Technologies, Inc.
TW Metals
Westminster Tool, Inc.
WGI, Inc.
Whitcraft, LLC
Winslow Automatics, Inc.
Yarde Metals
Location
Putnam
Orange
Manchester
Newington
East Hartford
Westfield
Enfield
Middletown
New Hartford
New Britain
Manchester
Bristol
Willimantic
Enfield
Newington
Enfield
Windsor
East Granby
Berlin
New Haven
Windsor Locks
Winsted
Wallingford
Westbrook
Manchester
East Windsor
Farmington
Farmington
Agawam
Plainfield
Southwick
Eastford
New Britain
Southington
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Business Development
● The Business Development met on Tuesday, January 12th at The Lyceum in Hartford. Michael
Scotto (ACMT) chaired this meeting filling in for Team leader Bruce Fiedorowicz; Mike welcomed
members and introduced ACM’s newest member firm, Polamer Precision (New Britain).
Dale Cline, CEO of BlackStratus was introduced to ACM by Ron Angelo of the Cross River Group
(Greenwich, CT) to brief members on the issues and possible protective systems available to avoid
Internet Fraud. It has been said there are two types of firms; those that have been hacked and know
it, and those that have been hacked and don’t yet know it! One ACM member advised of his firm’s
recent internet intrusion originating from China and the issues and cost of dealing with this loss; he
subsequently put a protective system in place.
Dale’s briefing served to educate firms on the threat that is becoming a part of doing business. He
indicated Verizon has reported 95% of all organizations have been breached, with the #1 target for
cyber espionage being manufacturing firms. He defined a breach as having someone unauthorized
to be inside your system who is extracting data. Dale said 60% of all attacks happen within minutes
and 90% of breaches go undetected; cyber espionage typically goes on for 200 days before being
detected.
What to do to protect your firm is the key issue, noting that it typically costs much more to recover
from a loss than to install a protective measure in advance.
BlackStratus offers “SIEM-(Security Information Event Management)-as-a-service” and has the NSA
(National Security Agency), Verizon, Cisco, Rolls-Royce and others as key customers. The firm is
relocating to Connecticut (from NJ) and will be the first company marketing SIEM services to small
and mid-sized businesses. Dale indicated BlackStratus’
approach uses highly proprietary technologies with no need for
the client to install additional hardware; the service is capable of
being scaled and priced to the needs of the individual firm. At
the high end of this service, BlackStratus is technically capable
of detecting and locking out a cyber threat in real-time!
For additional information, please contact Dale Cline (right).
Upcoming Industry Meetings / Tradeshows
-Flying into the Future (PNAA), Seattle, Feb 9-11th
-Singapore Airshow, Feb 16-18th; contact
Mike Scotto ([email protected]) regarding info on a
follow-on meeting in Malaysia.
-Heli Expo, Louisville, Feb 29 – Mar 3rd
-MRO Americas, Dallas April 5-7th
-Aero Defense Supplier Summit, Seattle, Apr 14-15th
-Mfg4, Hartford, May 3-5th
-SAMPE Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, May 23-26th
(largest annual Show dedicated to composites
materials and manufacturing)
-Farnborough Air Show, Farnborough, UK, (right),
July 11-17th. This will be the Connecticut’s 11th year
as a participant. Financial assistance up to $5,000
is available to qualified companies; for information,
contact Laura Jaworski at CT DECD 860-270-8068
or [email protected].
Only two booth-slots remain available in the CT
booth!!
2
Al Samuel addressed the Nov 9th ACM “Future WorkForce Opportunities Fair and Tradeshow, which
will be held at the CT Convention Center, reminding members to contact their customers now to
have them reserve the date on their calendars.
The Team’s discussion of Business Issues / Opportunities was informative, candid and therefore,
details have been omitted. Discussion addressed challenges specific to the coming year:
-waiting for the surge!!
-cost pressures, while business remains relatively flat.
-competition for skilled labor
-now is the time to emphasize productivity improvements
-metals market will likely remain stable at the low end as nickel continues to trade under $4/lb
and titanium is also stable; distributors advise these are the best times for manufacturers to
commit to procurement!
Al Samuel presented the results of the ACM Survey of Sales, Markets and Employment. In summary,
ACM firms represent over $2.2 billion in annual Sales and employ more than 7000 employees.
Al advised these sums are
likely conservative; should all
ACM firms have provided input,
Sales could exceed $3 billion
and Employment would exceed
8000. Sales in the commercial
aerospace sector have
remained relatively constant at
over 45% of the total, while
military aerospace sales are
approx 33%; export sales were
reported as ~13% of the total.
Business levels with the turbine
engine primes are all projected
to increase with 2016 sales to
General Electric Aviation
projected to increase the most
at ~17% . ACM firms reported
doing more than $50MM of
annual business with each
other.
Year-End Sales did not meet or
exceed the projection of the
previous year, yet employment
has increased significantly. In
discussion, this is believed due
to the nature of the survey;
more companies have
responded this year (than last),
yet most of those firms responding last year are included in the current data. Al suggested the data
indicated ACM firms had increased employment levels in preparation for the pending turbine engine
production surge, yet the supporting business has not yet been released by the OEMs.
● The next meeting of the Business Development Team will take place on Wednesday, March 16 th at
8:00am at The Lyceum (227 Lawrence Street) in Hartford.
3
United Technologies Returns to Form
2015 was a transition year, but at long last, 100% free cash flow-to-earnings could be just
around the corner
BY: Rich Smith
January 28, 2016
United Technologies stock has been a poor performer lately. Will Wednesday's earnings help?
Four times a year, United Technologies (UTC) reports quarterly earnings, granting investors a
snapshot of how things are going at the given
instant. But full-year fiscal earnings? Those come
but once a year. So while the rest of the market is
cheering UTC's Q4 earnings "beat" ($1.53 per share
in "adjusted EPS," a penny ahead of estimates),
we here at the Fool are going to skip right past that
news -- and go straight to the heart of the matter:
How did United Technologies perform in 2015 as a
whole -- and did it do well enough to make the stock
a buy?
2015 at a glance: Last year was a big one for UTC,
marked primarily by the divestment of Sikorsky, and a
refocusing of the company's energies on two core business areas: aerospace and buildings. UTC is
making a big bet that keeping these two business spheres, with their superb profit margins, and
unloading the lower-margin, more end-market-focused Sikorsky division, is the right way to maximize
profits going forward. So how well is that strategy going?
So far, not well. In 2015:
•Organic sales grew a bare 1% in 2015. Fighting forex headwinds of 4%, this resulted in full-year
sales sliding 3% to $56.1 billion.
•Profit margins, too, took a tumble. After earning operating profit margins of 16.6% in 2014, UTC saw
margins slide 3.6% in 2015, down to just 13%. Total operating profits dropped 24%, to $7.3 billion.
•Minus taxes, and plus a windfall profit from selling Sikorsky, net profits landed at $7.6 billion.
•Per share, UTC says that worked out to adjusted earnings per share of $6.30 for the year.
From the analysts' perspective, this therefore worked out to a mixed earnings report in which UTC
missed on revenues (Wall Street was expecting $57.3 billion) but beat on earnings (which were only
supposed to be $6.28). Investors, in contrast, are viewing the year as a win all around, and they bid
up UTC shares 0.2% in response on Wednesday, even as the rest of the stock market crashed.
Were they right to do so? Call me a crazy optimist, but yes, I think investors are right to be optimistic
about UTC stock.
Management guided investors to expect $56 billion to $57 billion in sales this year, implying sales
growth even despite continued foreign exchange headwinds. Adjusted earnings are expected to hold
firm at $6.30 per share at a minimum, and may grow as high as $6.60, a respectable 5% pace.
Perhaps best of all, management says that free cash flow in 2016 could run as high as 100% of
reported profits. If they're right about that, then 2016 could be the first time in three years that United
Technologies achieved such a feat, and mark a return to the company's historical habit of almost
always producing more cash profit than it reports as net income.
What does all this work out to, valuation-wise? Well, the concept of adjusted earnings is a bit fuzzy,
as it's never 100% clear what a company is "adjusting" before spitting out its final number. That said,
$6.60 in earnings (using the high range of earnings projections) seems to imply about a 13 currentyear P/E on UTC stock, and a 13 price-to-free cash flow ratio as well.
Meanwhile, analysts currently forecast better than 10% long-term earnings growth at UTC. Add in a
generous 3% dividend yield, and "13X earnings" looks to me like a fair price to pay for UTC stock.
SOURCE: The Motley Fool
—Continued on Page 5 with ACM Member’s commentary—
4
And, commentary on The Motley Fool (Page 4) article from two ACM members:
Agree! Add to this that giants the like of Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Parker and BAE are now trading
at or near 52 week lows and likely bringing down some of their major suppliers such as Senior,
Meggit, Zodiac, Magellan and Cobham who are also trading at or near lows. Minor blip or the industry
is making a correction - based on Boeing's forecast today, it is likely the later.
From Alpha: Boeing (NYSE:BA) disappointed the market with the release of the FY15 results and
even more with a poor 2016 outlook.
The bad news is that BCA (Boeing Commercial Airplanes) deliveries are expected to fall from 762
aircraft in 2015 to only 740-745 in 2016, despite a large order backlog and the ramping up of
production for various types mid-term. This came as a surprise for many, including myself.
Obviously, revenue and earnings will suffer when fewer planes are delivered, hence Boeing guides
towards slightly lower revenues somewhere between $93B and $95B, down from $96.1B in FY15.
How can fewer deliveries be explained when Boeing has continuously stressed that the demand for
commercial airplanes is growing? To answer this question, we need to look at the individual
categories.
Starting with the worst, the 747 is slowly dying. Production of the 747-8 will be cut from 1.3 airframes
per month to just one in March 2016 and then to 0.5 airframes in September. On an annualized
basis, this a reduction from 16 to 6. It was also the reason for the most recent charge that Boeing had
to recognize in the December quarter.
The 777 will continue at an unchanged rate, at least in 2016 before slowing down to seven per month
(or 84 per year) in 2017. This was another bad piece of news, although every market participant was
aware that orders for the current 777 were slowing down before the introduction of the new 777X. In
terms of profitability, it is an unfavorable development, because the aircraft is one of the cash cows,
but at some point of time inevitable when a next generation aircraft is developed. A positive aspect is
that 80% of the available production slots until transition to the 777X are already sold out at this rate.
No changes for the 787. Boeing delivered 135 airframes, a new yearly record, and this figure is
expected to remain flat in 2016, despite the production ramp-up to 12 airframes per months by mid of
the year. Next year, a slight increase in deliveries can be expected again.
There will also be fewer than anticipated 767 deliveries in 2016, despite a growing order backlog
triggered by Fedex ordering more of the cargo planes last year. The explanation for the decline is the
ramp up on the USAF tanker program preparing for the 2017 certification and delivery of the first
KC-46s. After having achieved this, the number of planes will grow again from next year on.
Finally, and most importantly, the 737. The transition from the 737NG to the 737-MAX is the single
most important one for Boeing, as the aircraft represents almost two thirds of the deliveries. The
production rate will be nominally kept constant at 42 per month in 2016 (or 502 per year) before
increasing to 47 in 2017, 52 in 2018 and finally 57 in 2019. This means an increase of 60 airframes
per year over a three-year period and a lot of growth potential from 2017 on. However, building test
airplanes and producing the first units for the 2017 delivery of the 737-MAX will slow down output and
deliveries in 2016.
A nutty time had by all… with the alleged ramp up “storm” coming, we will experience a 30 months
long “eye” (ramp down of old, ramp up of new) where it is not terribly windy from a sales perspective,
just kind of blah … and we will all have to dust off the top hat and cane and keep the belief going that
this industry is a growth industry… Oh yes, and we all have to somehow absorb the year over year
decreases that are built into our sales projections… but don’t worry, the growth will pay for those
decreases!!!
5
Lufthansa becomes launch customer of best-selling A320neo
January 20, 2016
The Lufthansa Group, Airbus’ largest airline customer and operator, marks a major step in aviation
history today by taking delivery of the first A320neo, the world’s best-selling and most fuel efficient
single aisle aircraft.
Equipped with all new technology Pratt & Whitney PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ engines, the
A320neo sets a new, even higher standard in aircraft efficiency, reducing emissions and noise as
well as burning 15% less fuel than current generation aircraft from day one and 20% less by 2020.
“We are happy that today we are the first airline worldwide to receive the Airbus A320neo.
Featuring the leading technology of Airbus and Pratt & Whitney, the A320neo is by far the most
efficient and most silent aircraft on short- and medium-haul routes.
With lower fuel consumption and consequently lower CO2 emissions, the A320neo has a clearly
improved environmental performance. Furthermore, the new jet engine technology makes the
aircraft considerably quieter. As a result, we have ordered a total of 116 aircraft of this type for the
airlines of the Lufthansa Group”, states Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO
of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “Today we prove once again that as an aviation company and airline
group we are pioneers in the development and introduction of technical innovations. In this year
alone the Lufthansa Group will receive a total of 52 new aircraft, a number we have not received in
years”, says Spohr.
“Pratt & Whitney congratulates Lufthansa as the launch customer for the A320neo aircraft powered
by PW1100G-JM engines,” said Robert Leduc, Pratt & Whitney President. “Airbus and Lufthansa
have been important customers for Pratt & Whitney for many years. With the A320neo’s
unprecedented reductions in fuel burn, emissions and noise, I am confident that these business
relationships will have continued success for many years to come.”
The A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines
and Sharklet wing tip devices. With almost 4,500 orders received from nearly 80 customers since
its launch in 2010, the A320neo Family has captured some 60 percent share of the market.
SOURCE: www.airbus.com
Pratt & Whitney, Defense Dept. agree on lower engine prices
January 20, 2016
East Hartford's Pratt & Whitney and the Defense Department have agreed in principle to a price cut of
up to 6.4 percent on production contracts for the ninth and 10th lots of F135 propulsion systems to
power the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
The Department of Defense and Pratt & Whitney announced the ninth and tenth low rate initial
production (LRIP) contracts will cover 66 and 101 total engines respectively, as well as program
management, engineering support, production non-recurring efforts, spare modules and spare parts.
"This agreement for the next two lots of F135 engines continues to drive down costs and that's critical
to making the F-35 more affordable for the U.S. military and our allies," said Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F35 program executive officer, in a statement.
Pratt said in the statement total award value will be released when the contracts are finalized;
however, in general, the unit prices for the propulsion systems are reduced 3.4% from the previously
negotiated price for the eighth lots to the negotiated price for the 10th lots. The unit prices for the
13 LRIP 9 and 14 LRIP 10 short takeoff and vertical landing propulsion systems are reduced 6.4 %
from the previously negotiated LRIP 8 price to the negotiated LRIP 10 price.
To date, Pratt & Whitney has delivered 262 F135 engines. Deliveries of LRIP 9 engines will begin this
year and deliveries of LRIP 10 engines will start in 2017.
SOURCE: HartfordBusiness.com
6
OPINION: Why Airbus, Boeing need supply chain reaction
January 15, 2016
There are jitters on the Chinese stock market and worries about many emerging economies, but John
Leahy has a view on the orders bubble: there simply isn’t one. At the Airbus annual press conference
in Paris on 12 January, the airframer’s top salesman again dismissed suggestions that the industry is
ramping up output just when unprecedented demand is about to topple over the precipice.
Assuming the appetite for air travel slackens, Leahy contends, Toulouse is sitting on a backlog of
almost 6,800 and simply needs to go on taking one order for every aircraft it builds to maintain its
production plans into the next decade – in 2015 that ratio was 1.6.
However, even if the ever-upbeat sales supremo is right about the strength of the marketplace, Airbus
– and its rival Boeing – could yet come unstuck at the other end of the equation. To meet their
ambitious ramp-up plans, both depend not only on a growing world economy, but on global supply
chains delivering components and sub-systems to increasingly just-in-time schedules.
Airbus’s experience with the A350 last year proves just how vulnerable the airframers are to a weak
link in that chain. The new widebody was certificated almost exactly when Toulouse promised it
would be – a remarkable achievement considering the shambles of the A380 programme less than a
decade earlier. But the first year of production proved trickier. Leahy’s boss Fabrice Brégier was
unusually candid in naming and shaming interiors provider Zodiac at the press conference, pinning
the blame on the French company for Airbus falling one short of its target of 15 A350 deliveries last
year. He accused Zodiac management of being “in denial” about the supply problems and said
Airbus had deselected the company from its A330neo programme.
Harsh words indeed, and doubtless enough to spark a culture change at Airbus’s hapless supplier.
And, while missing an annual delivery target by one aircraft hardly amounts to a crisis, Brégier
promised a new “watchtower” approach to any impending slippages. Suppliers the world over –
particularly on the A320neo and Boeing 737 Max, which face the steepest ramp-ups – may now well
be looking at their processes ahead of what will an extremely challenging period.
Too much demand might be a nicer problem than too little. But for the airframers and their supply
chains, making good their promises over the next five to 10 years could prove no less stressful.
SOURCE: Flight International
Rolls-Royce to Invest Over GBP30M in New Washington Aerospace Facility
BY: Flight International
January 22, 2016
Rolls-Royce is today announcing plans to invest more than £30m at its site in Washington, Tyne &
Wear, UK, creating a new facility to manufacture a range of aerospace discs for in-service engines.
The new Fleet Support plant is expected to be fully operational in 2018 and will sit alongside our
world-class UK discs manufacturing facility, which officially opened in June 2014.
The new investment is part of Rolls-Royce’s ongoing industrial transformation and marks the final
stage of the modernisation programme for disc manufacturing in the North East of England. The
construction of a new facility will allow Rolls-Royce to make use of our specialist workforce and agile
manufacturing techniques. It will also complete the planned closure of the existing site in nearby
Sunderland, which is over 60 years old.
The new 8000m2 facility will have the capacity to manufacture well over 1,500 fan and turbine discs a
year for use in a wide-range of existing engines, including Civil applications (Trent 500, Trent 800 and
the RB211 engines) and alongside the Defence applications (EJ200 and Adour engines). Fan discs
and turbine discs are at the heart of the engine, operating in extreme conditions.
The new Washington facility is part of Rolls-Royce’s ongoing investment in improving its UK
infrastructure. Employees from the existing Sunderland facility will start to move into the new site
from 2017 and the Sunderland site is scheduled for closure in 2019.
SOURCE: ASDNews
7
Progressive Manufacturing
● The Progressive Manufacturing Team met on January 20th at CCAT’s (CT Center for Advanced
Technology) Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) in East Hartford. This meeting, a follow-on to
CCAT’s presentation at the January Business Development Team meeting, allowed members to get
a more detailed briefing on the technical capabilities
offered to aerospace manufacturers.
Don Balducci, Director of the AMC, briefed the Team
on the Center’s current capabilities and near-term
expansion plans; included in this expansion will be a
significant capability for developing machining
techniques for composite aerospace components.
Don, Tom Maloney (Director, Technology) and Wayne
Sumple led members on a tour of the AMC facility,
displaying their diverse 3-D printing (metal and nonmetallic), advanced machining, EDM, robotics and noncontact dimensional inspection capabilities.
CCAT briefed the Team on current programs funded
by the State of Connecticut, the State of
Massachusetts and the U.S. Air Force Materials
Laboratory that offer firms financial support regarding
manufacturing improvements, at relatively little cost.
The Manufacturing Technology Innovation Program
(MTIP) provides support for CT firms for manufacturing
technology access, assistance, workshops,
assessments and referrals; the CT Department of
Economic & Community Development (DECD) is the
sponsor. To read more or submit an application, go to:
www.ccat.us/mantech/process-solutions/programs/mtip.
The Machining Optimization Program (MOP) provides money to improve machining of refractory
metals, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, titanium and rhenium, organic matrix composites, ceramics
and ceramic matrix composites; the USAF is the sponsor. To read more or submit an application, go
to: www.ccat.us/mantech/process-solutions/programs/mop2016.
Please contact CCAT’s Don Balducci at [email protected] or (860) 282-4942 for additional
information.
● The Progressive Manufacturing Team, announced for March 9th has been cancelled and will be
rescheduled at another time. Meeting notices will be sent to members via email.
8
Workforce Development
● The WorkForce Development Team met at Aero Gear (Windsor) on January 7 th.
The Team addressed a variety of workforce related issues including ACM Training courses.
Currently, no specific sessions are scheduled as the 2015-Fall-semester of courses proved difficult to
fill. However, ACM will be pleased to plan a training session if firms come forward with requests;
please contact Al Samuel at the ACM Office with your specific training needs, e.g., BluePrint
Reading, GD&T, Shop Math, First Line Supervisor’s Training, etc.
The Team also discussed the matter of student internships and how to work with the local community
colleges in regard to training and access to graduates. It was noted that Asnuntuck Community
College has recently started an Inspector’s training program.
Continuing on the subject of hiring college students, Dan Lessard, President of Spothook was invited
to the Team meeting to brief members on his firm’s innovative computer application whose purpose is
to conduct a ‘virtual job fair’ from the convenience of your office. The time and cost of travelling to
colleges to recruit and interview students is often beyond the scope of small to mid-sized businesses;
to this end, Spothook will allow a firm to post jobs and conduct video interviews over the Internet.
“Spothook is a real-time interviewing platform that simplifies the recruiter/candidate relationship”
according to Lessard. Potential candidate students can sign up for specific times to interview for job
postings and the employer may record the video interview for subsequent replay and decision
making. ACM members were interested in this new approach and Mr. Lessard was invited back to
the Team’s next meeting, to be held on March 8th, to conduct a demonstration of the software. For
detailed information, please contact Dan Lessard at [email protected].
● The WorkForce Development Team will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 8 th at 8:00am at
Mallory Industries in Farmington.
Purchasing
● The Purchasing Team met at Jonal Laboratories in Meriden on January 16th.
Members were briefed by Jonal’s President, Marc Nemeth, Exec Vice President Ken Keegan and
Technology Director Fred Annunziata on the firm’s capabilities. Jonal Labs is a 50-year-old family
owned business that formulates elastomeric materials and then manufactures complex shaped seals
and associated components from rubber, fabrics and metal. The firm prides itself on its technology,
with Marc advising “customers come to Jonal if they have a seal application they don’t know how to
solve!” Further, Marc noted Jonal has been identified by Boeing as its “most highly technically
competent seal supplier” and has become Pratt & Whitney’s ‘go-to seal supplier”. Rather than
manufacturing commodity type seals, Jonal’s specialty is engineering and manufacturing unique
applications and doing so with relatively short lead-times. Following the presentation, Team
members toured Jonal’s shop seeing their material preparation, component molding and final
inspection areas. For more information regarding Jonal Laboratories, please contact Ken Keegan at
(203) 634-4444 or [email protected].
In addition to the discussion regarding Jonal Labs, Team members addressed the current business
perspective from the procurement point of view. Metallic raw materials were addressed, again noting
the very low cost of nickel alloys; nickel continues to trade at under $4/lb (LME). Additionally, titanium
and cobalt prices remain low and stable.
● The Purchasing Team will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, February 2nd at 8:00am at Peening
Technologies of CT (East Hartford. As has been the Team’s practice, this will be an informational
meeting to present another of our ACM member firm’s manufacturing and/or processing capabilities.
Please take the opportunity to attend, participate and learn about Peening Technologies.
9
News from ACM Members
Please forward significant company news and announcements to Allen Samuel at
[email protected] for posting on the ACM website and publication in the UPDATE
New CNC Grinder Gives Customers Top Results
Berlin, CT, January 8, 2016 – A new CNC Surface Grinder was
recently installed and is running in ACM member Sirois Tool’s
custom tooling and gage department. The Amada MS-V3 grinds
steel and carbide parts with greater accuracy and efficiency,
saving time while eliminating further finishing operations. The
top-performing Amada utilizes a wheel library as well as “macro”
programming for ease of operation. Amada’s top applications
engineer conducted all the employee training and setup for the new
grinder, ensuring quick and dependable turnaround time for customer orders.
Sirois Tool manufactures precision tooling, jigs, fixtures, machine parts,
and custom gages as well as complex, precision parts and assemblies.
State-of-the art equipment is a key component to consistent and high quality results in precision
tooling and gages. Their newest equipment technology includes holding closer tolerances,
programming for more complex parts, and grinding for small quantity parts and parts with multiple
steps. These upgrades and additions continue to enhance their custom tooling and gage capabilities,
giving their customers the most advanced operations available. For a complete list of their equipment
and capabilities, please go to www.siroistool.com or call at (860) 828-5327 for a quote on your
project.
Other Sirois Tool companies include Dow Gage, manufacturer of a line of Dow-Gages for in-process
and post-process inspection of precision-machined parts and North American Spring Tool, a world
leader in tooling for the spring and wire industry.
Contact: Sirois Tool, Alan Ortner
10
AMERICA’S FIRST AIR MEET
An essay by
Bruce Fiedorowicz, GKN Aerospace Newington
DOMINGUEZ FIELD, CALIFORNIA – This chapter in aviation history actually begins in Reims,
France on August 22, 1909. It was here that the first international flying event was held before a
crowd estimated at 500,000 spectators. The week-long event was sponsored by the leading makers
of champagne including Moet et Chandon and Mumm.
It was only one year earlier on August 8, 1908 at a track near Le Mans, France where Wilbur Wright
silenced all doubters with a demonstration flight lasting one minute and 45 seconds. Despite to short
flight, Wright made effortless turns and banks stunning the spectators including several French
aviation pioneers. As a result, the enthusiasm for competition spawned the Grande Semaine
d’Aviation de la Champagne in Reims with 38 aircraft entered in the event representing nine different
aircraft types.
Reims advertising poster – 1909
A French built Wright Biplane passes in front of a packed grandstand
At Reims, the most prestigious event of the meet was a competition between national teams
sponsored by Gordon Bennett, the millionaire publisher of the New York Herald newspaper and
aviation enthusiast. American aviator Glenn Curtiss was the victor and under the rules of the trophy
match, Curtiss’ victory meant that the next race would be held in America.
The Los Angeles International Air Meet as it was known, was held at Dominguez Field just south of
Los Angeles where Carson, California is situated today. The event would run from January 10th to
January 20th 1910. Los Angeles was selected for its favorable winter weather. The organizers invited
pilots of monoplanes, biplanes, balloons and dirigibles. To make the event truly international Louis
Paulham the famous French aviator from the Reims meet was guaranteed a sum of money to
participate. Cash prizes were awarded for competitive events (see attached for entry list and cash
prizes).
--continued on Page 12–
11
AMERICA’S FIRST AIR MEET
--continued from Page 11–
The 1910 Air Meet drew many famous aviators, many of
which were American.
Los Angeles railroad owner Henry Huntington pledged
$50,000 ($1,170,000.00 today) toward the cash awards.
Spectator’s paid $0.35 cents for a train ticket to the event
and $0.50 cents for a grandstand ticket. Spectator turnout
numbered in excess of 254,000 (LA population at the time
was only 319,198) and gate receipts were said to be
approximately $137,500 ($3,217,000.00 today).
Amongst the famous spectators were fourteen-year-old
Jimmy Doolittle (World War II ace who led the Raid on Tokyo), William Boeing, Glenn Martin and
publishing millionaire, William Randolph Hurst who owned the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper.
Also in the crowd were Orville and Wilbur Wright who refused to participate in the flying events due to
the Sunday flying (the religious Wrights recognized Sunday as a day of Prayer). The Wrights,
through their lawyers, did serve lawsuit papers to a number of the aviators for patent infringement on
their aero plane designs.
On January 12th Glenn Curtiss broke three world records and retained the speed record for the event
of 55 mph. Paulhan won the prize for the longest cross country flight: 1 hour and 2 minutes earning
him $10,000 USD ($244,000 USD today). Charles Hamilton of Connecticut won the “slow lap”
competition while finishing third in the speed and endurance competitions.
Paulhan ruled the skies over Los Angeles in his Bleriott
Monoplane winning $19,000 USD in prize money
($463,400. USD today).
Bleriott II Monoplane flown by Louis Paulhan (right).
At this event, Louis Paulhan gave William Randolph Hurst
his first experience of flight taking the famous publisher up for a ride. However, William Boeing,
aviation enthusiast and future founder of The Boeing Company was unable to get a ride on any
aircraft at the meet despite many tries. It was Boeing’s first air meet and every aviator in attendance
said no to William Boeing, except Louis Paulhan. Boeing waited for three days to get his ride with
Paulhan and on the 4th day he discovered Paulhan had already left the meet!
At this event, Louis Paulhan gave William Randolph Hurst his first experience of flight taking the
famous publisher up for a ride. However, William Boeing, aviation enthusiast and future founder of
The Boeing Company was unable to get a ride on any aircraft at the meet despite many tries. It was
Boeing’s first air meet and every aviator in attendance said no to William Boeing, except Louis
Paulhan. Boeing waited for three days to get his ride with Paulhan and on the 4th day he discovered
Paulhan had already left the meet!
The 1910 Air Meet saw aviators perform with no parachutes, seat belts, no enclosed cockpits, no
brakes, no instruments, no radios, poor performing engines, wood spars and cloth wings, yet by the
end of 1910 there were over 1000 men and women all over the world with pilot’s licenses!
Editor’s notes: Charles K. Hamilton of New Britain, Connecticut became an aviation hero by thrilling
crowds coast to coast following the Los Angeles Air Meet of 1910. He would set many records along
the way always inventing new tricks to become America’s pioneer “stunt pilot”. In 1914 at the young
age of only 28, Hamilton died of tuberculosis. He devoted 11 years to flying despite his age. Those
who knew him claimed that over his career he had earned over a quarter million USD, which he spent
and died broke. He is buried at Hartford’s Cedar Hill Cemetery. At his funeral fellow aviators flew
overhead and dropped flowers from their planes.
Cedar Hill Cemetery is less than 4 miles from GKN – Newington.
--continued on Page 13–
12
AMERICA’S FIRST AIR MEET
--continued from Page 12 –
Charles Hamilton with his
Curtiss biplane performing
stunts at Mineola Field,
Long Island, New York –
July 1910
The following prizes were offered at the air meet. All prices are given in 1910 US dollars.
-$10,000.00 for "the machine which, carrying two or more persons, breaks all
worlds records for duration, altitude, distance and speed."
-$7,500.00 for "the machine making the best general average in all events."
-$5,000.00 for setting a new height record
-$5,000.00 for setting a new endurance record.
-$500.00 for "the circuit of least diameter."
-$500.00 for the shortest take-off time.
-$500.00 for the shortest take-off distance.
-$500.00 for the "greatest ability during flight (general average)."
-$500.00 for the longest glide with the motor shut off
-$500.00 for the "best general average in landing at a given point."
-$1,500.00 for any aircraft which was designed and built by a resident of CA, AZ
or NV which was able to fly five miles or more.
-$500.00 for any aircraft which was designed and built by a resident of CA, AZ or
NV which was able to fly two miles or more.
-$2,500 for an aircraft that could "soar (not glide) without power save that of the
aviator."
-$10,000.00 for a dirigible flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
-$5,000.00 for a non-stop dirigible flight with more than two passengers from
Los Angeles to San Diego and back.
-$10,000.00 for a balloon flight to the Atlantic Coast without landing.
-$5,000.00 for the first balloon flight to east of the Mississippi River without landing.
-$2,500.00 for breaking Count de la Vaux's long distance record of 1,193 miles
-$2,500.00 for the first balloon to land within five miles (8 km) of San Francisco.
1910 Aero Meet – Los Angeles – Entry List
Harry La Verne Twining
Los Angeles, CA
Howard Gill[13]
Baltimore, Maryland Gill-dosh Biplane[13]
Ornithopter
Aero Nagivation Co.
Girard, Kansas
Aeroplane
B.F. Roerig
San Diego, CA
J. C. Klassen
Los Angeles, CA
Gyroplane & Monoplane Baroness de la Roche Paris, France
Biplane
Bleroit Monoplane
J. W. Curzon
Cincinnati, Ohio
Farman Biplane
Charles Borok
New York
Monoplane
James A. Liston
San Diego, CA
Biplane
Charles E. Miscarol
Paris, France
Bleriot Monoplane
James Slough Zerbe
Los Angeles, CA
Multiplane
Charles F. Willard
New York
Curtiss Biplane
La Platt Brothers
Yuma, Arizona
Ornithopter
Charles K. Hamilton
Hammondsport, NY Curtiss Biplane
Louis Bergdoll
Philadelphia, PA
Bleriot Monoplane
Charles Skogland
Los Angeles, CA
Monoplane
Louis Paulhan[12]
Paris, France
Farman Biplane &
Bleriot Monoplane
Clifford B. Harmon
New York City
Curtiss Biplane
Pacific Aero Club
San Francisco, CA
Monoplane
D.J. Johnson
Los Angeles, CA
Aeroplane
Pacific Aero Club
San Francisco, CA
Biplane
Dana P. Goodwin
San Francisco, CA
Monoplane
Ralph Saunier
New York
Monoplane
Didier Masson
Paris, France
Bleriot Monoplane
Richard Griffith Vere Mytton Los Angeles, CA
Biplane
Donald H. Gordon
Bostonia, CA
Aeroplane
S. Y. Beach
New York
Monoplane
E.J. Campbell
Los Angeles, CA
Biplane
San Diego Aero Mfg Co
San Diego, CA
Monoplane
E.S. Smith
Tropico, California
Monoplane
W. M. Williams
Douglas, Arizona
Monoplane
G.H. Loose
San Francisco, CA
Monoplane
W.J. Davis
Los Angeles, CA
Double Biplane
Glenn Curtiss[12]
Hammondsport, NY Curtiss Biplane
Waldo Dean Waterman
San Diego, CA
Biplane
Grant Fowler (aviator) Tucson, Arizona
Triplane
William Stephens (aviator)
Los Angeles, CA
Monoplane
H. P. Warner
Beloit, Wisconsin
Curtiss Biplane
A. L. Smith (aviator)
Los Angeles, CA
Biplane
H.L. Reimer
Los Angeles, CA
Ornithopter
A. Roy Knabenshue
Toledo, Ohio
Aeroplane
H.W. Gale
New York
Aeroplane
A.J. Gonzales
Los Angeles, CA
Bowplane
13