Doncasters Chard to Support Snecma LS2R (LEAP Supplier Rate Readiness) Program

April 16, 2015
The hundredth supplier to be approved to do so, Doncasters Chard will continue its support of other programs while participating in Snecma’s efforts to prepare for the rapid acceleration in production rates of its LEAP Engine.

16 April, 2015, Chard, UK — Doncasters Chard will support Snecma’s LS2R (LEAP Supplier Rate Readiness) Program. The hundredth supplier to be approved to do so, Doncasters Chard, a leading provider of critical-use investment castings for the aerospace and IGT industries, will continue its support of other programs while participating in Snecma’s efforts to prepare for the rapid acceleration in production rates of its LEAP Engine. The focus of Snecma’s LS2R program is to work alongside its key suppliers to deliver the high level of performance required for a smooth ramp-up in production rates on the LEAP engine. Snecma already has a backlog of orders amounting to four years of production and will have to be capable of rolling out more than 1,700 LEAP engines a year by 2019.

Jeremy Halford, President of Doncasters Aerospace, noted that, “In its LS2R program, Snecma is essentially creating a truly balanced partnership with us as well as other integral suppliers that will yield the high levels of performance and innovation that their LEAP program demands. We will work together to increase our production capabilities and support the future success of both businesses.” He added, “Our planning is focused on meeting the needs of the LEAP engine program without impacting our ability to support our own growing investment casting business. We’re exceptionally pleased to be part of this program, and believe that programs of this type are highly beneficial to our industry.”

Located in Chard, Somerset in the southwest of England, Doncasters Chard specialises in customer lead design collaboration to produce high quality, equiax precision investment castings in nickel and cobalt exotic alloys as well as traditional materials. The facility is capable of producing structural castings up to 500 mm (19.68 in.) diameter as well as blade and vane airfoils up to 300 mm (11.81 in.) Doncasters Chard’s thorough knowledge of material properties and state-of-the-art rapid prototyping techniques make it a leader in precision investment castings for aerospace, industrial gas turbine and engineering markets. Its positioning within the Doncasters Group also allows for engine-ready solutions to be offered where required. The Group combines the unique capabilities of 29 operating facilities worldwide to support leading aerospace manufacturers with a wide range of forming, machining, assembly, manufacturing, fasteners and supply-chain support solutions.