Interview with Pratt & Whitney reveals sourcing from MMPP Salyut of verification series

Published: 6/10/1999

Concise met a group of United Technologies specialists during a visit to the MMPP (Moscow Machinery-building Industrial Enterprise) Salyut. In a brief interview, Mr Michael Robillard, Supervisor, S.Q.A. - International Sourcing for Pratt&Whitney Canada (PWC), told Concise that his company had already ordered some parts for its turboprop engines from MMPP Salyut. According to Mr Robillard, the first contract was awarded to the Moscow-based factory at the beginning of 1999, and that the first parts, which are believed to be a verification series, have already been delivered. Refusing to reveal the exact value of the orders, Mr Robillard said that the total “most likely exceeds" that of the contracts of Pratt&Whitney"s competitor, General Electric, with Rybinsk Motors. This latter is known to be in excess of $1m, as previously reported by Concise. Mr Robillard added that the quality of Russian-made parts was satisfactory and that PWC was keen to develop co-operation with MMPP Salyut. Interestingly, MMPP Salyut was less optimistic about such cooperation, although it did confirm that it would continue to seek new contracts from foreign engine manufacturers. Mr Valentine Krymov, Chief Engineer, told Concise that the company will sign a comprehensive agreement on cooperation with PWC at Le Bourget"99, where the Russian factory will be having a joint exposition with A.Lyulka-Saturn design bureau, UMPO factory of Ufa and several scientific establishments, including VIAM, TsIAM and NIID. According to Mr Krymov, co-operation with PWC is still at an early stage. He added that MMPP Salyut is “against forming any joint ventures, which, as the practice has showed, do nothing but destroy the Russian industry". Instead, Mr Krymov prefers mutually-beneficial work on the basis of direct contracts. He claims that the MMPP Salyut and PWC agreement would call for the manufacture of some parts for PWC engines and also for the joint development, production and sales of a “new engine for civil aircraft". With a workforce of 8000, MMPP Salyut is one of the largest and, arguably, the healthiest enterprise in the system of Russian engine-making industry. The factory produces AL-31-series engines for the Sukhoi Su-27 aircraft and their latest modifications, such as the AL-31FP for the Su-37 and Su-30MK fighters with thrust-vectoring control (TVC) systems. A considerable amount of foreign orders allowed the factory to double its output in 1998, to some 40-45% of the capacity. In 1997, MMPP Salyut was certified by Russian and German certification bodies to ISO-9002 standards, making it possible to win orders for part manufacturing from PWC. Remarkably, MMPP Salyut spends a considerable amount of its income on the purchase of high-tech machine centres and other equipment from western European manufacturers: WFL of Austria, AGIE, STARAG and REISHAUER of Switzerland. It is also involved in the development of new engines and manufacture of its prototypes. Together with A.Lulka-Saturn, the factory works on the AL-55 engine for perspective jet trainers (in the class of thrust 6000 lbs) and with Klimov on the TVa-3000. At the same time, manufacturing tools for the TVD-1500/RD-600 series engines have been handed over to Rybinsk Motors. This allows the company to allocate more resources for the production, together with UMPO and Motor-SICh, of the ZMKB Progress D-436T engine, which powers the Beriev Be-200 amphibian aircraft and the Tupolev Tu-334 100-seat airliner. Mr Krymov acknowledged that a significant proportion of the income is derived from the production of industrial gas turbines, including those on the base of aircraft engines. In particular, MMPP Salyut is manufacturing the AL-31ST gas-pumping unit on the base of the Su-27"s AL-31F engine. It is expected that the share of aircraft engines will decrease, so giving more space for industrial turbines.

Article ID: 573