Safran to build new aircraft carbon brake plant near Lyon
July 18, 2019
Phillipe Petitcolin, the Chief Executive Officer of Safran announced on July 8 about the construction of a new aircraft carbon brake plant in Feyzin, near Lyon, in a ceremony attended by the French President Emmanuel Macron and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Safran, Ross McInnes.
This new plant will strengthen the production capacity of Safran Landing Systems, the Group’s landing and braking system specialist. Carbon brakes for aircraft are currently produced at three Safran facilities: the legacy site in Villeurbanne (near Lyon), also Safran's global research center for friction materials, Walton, Kentucky in the United States, and Sendayan in Malaysia.
"Today we are extremely proud to announce the construction of this new plant," said Safran CEO Philippe Petitcolin. "It will be a truly world-class production facility because of the innovative technologies used, while also setting a new standard in environmental-friendliness. In the Lyon region we enjoy one of the most dynamic industrial ecosystems in France, and we will eventually be adding up to 200 new employees at this plant."
Jean-Paul Alary, CEO of Safran Landing Systems, added: "Carbon brakes by Safran are already used on more than 10,000 airplanes deployed by some 500 airlines worldwide. With this new plant in Feyzin, Safran Landing Systems will consolidate its world leadership in carbon brakes and also address growing demand, driven by sustained growth in air traffic around the world. Our new plant will feature an innovative modular design, allowing it to develop in line with market requirements over the coming decades."
The facility will be equipped with the full range of “Factory 4.0” technologies developed by Safran that will result in a significant reduction in energy and water consumption, as well as increased use of renewable energies. Along with this new plant, the company is launching a major Research & Technology program in partnership with laboratories, universities and small businesses in the region, backed by support from the federal and local governments.
Increasing size of the commercial aircraft has led to the increased demand for stronger brakes. Carbon brakes meet the modern-day demand of the aircraft and at the same time, minimize the operation and maintenance costs to accommodate reduced budgets. Global aircraft carbon brakes market is witnessing an annual growth of >7%, according to Stratview Research. Increasing commercial aircraft deliveries, growing aircraft fleet size, and better operational performance of carbon brakes over steel brakes are some of the key growth drivers of the global carbon brakes market.
News Source: Safran