Chromalloy Joint Venture, Belac LLC, Reaches Milestone of 50,000 High Pressure Turbine Engine Blades Shipped

April 13, 2011
The company's 50,000th blade was shipped to a global airline based in Europe.

MRO AMERICAS / MRO MILITARY / MRO LATIN AMERICA, MIAMI, Fla., April 12, 2011 – Chromalloy announced today that its joint venture company, BELAC LLC, has reached a significant milestone – 50,000 Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) High Pressure Turbine blades shipped to commercial and military operators.

“This is an important milestone for BELAC and our partner companies, Lufthansa and United Airlines,” said Chong Yi, President. “We are pleased to provide the aerospace industry high performance, reliable HPT blades for the engine hot section as a proven and cost effective alternative to components from the original equipment manufacturers. Since BELAC began producing HPT blades use of the parts by aircraft operators worldwide has saved the industry approximately $200 million.”

The company’s 50,000th blade was shipped to a global airline based in Europe.

Formed in 1998, BELAC began manufacturing and shipping HPT blades in 2002. Since that time PMA use by the airlines has increased substantially.

“BELAC originally produced and shipped replacement blades largely to commercial carriers in the U.S. and Europe,” Yi said. “The equipment, which performs equal to or better than the OEM parts, was viewed as a source of significant savings – up to 40 percent off the OEM catalog pricing. That and the proven safety and reliability of the equipment has resulted in more and more carriers – and the U.S. Air Force – choosing BELAC parts.”

Yi said the strongest growth region for equipment sales during the past few years has been airline operators in Asia.

In 2010 BELAC announced its first military contract – the first-ever award of its kind to a producer of PMA hot section components. The U.S. Air Force contract, announced in September 2010, was followed several weeks later with a second Air Force award to BELAC for additional HPT blades for the F108 engine.

The F108 is the military variant of the CFM56-2 commercial engine and utilizes the same HPT blade as the CFM56-3.

PMA replacement parts are FAA-certified to meet or exceed the performance, reliability and durability specifications of original equipment manufacturer parts for gas turbine engines.

BELAC parts are subject to the same FAA requirements and scrutiny as original equipment manufacturer blades.

The company produces the following HPT blades for carriers around the world: CFM56-3 (first stage); CF6-50 (first and second stage); CF6-80A2 (first stage); CF6-80C2 (first and second stage); and PW4000 (first stage).

More information is at www.belac.com.