Kuala Lumpur, November 14, 2016 – Airfoil Service Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB), a 50:50 joint venture between MTU Aero Engines AG and Lufthansa Technik AG, has reached the quarter of a century milestone. Created in November 1991, the company looks back on an impressive record of high-tech achievements and commitment to the local industry and region. ASSB was initially a joint venture between MTU Maintenance (part of MTU Aero Engines) and Malaysian airlines. In 2003, MTU Aero Engines and Lufthansa Technik teamed up and each took on a 50% stake in the company. Over the last 13 years of MTU and LHT collaboration, around 350 local jobs have been created. Furthermore, ASSB has invested USD 22 million in state of the art technology, machinery and improving the working environment for employees. These milestones and more were celebrated on Friday by staff and joint venture partners .
ASSB is specialized in airfoil repairs. These airfoils can be found on the blades of the turbines in aircraft engines. Specifically, ASSB carries out a large number of repair services on high-pressure compressor (HPC) and low-pressure turbine (LPT) airfoils – for engines such as industry great, the CF6-80C, and the current boomer CFM56 and V2500 engine families. The company’s over 450 employees repair approximately 450,000 parts per year. ASSB has over 80 customers worldwide and revenue has grown more than nine-fold since 2003.
“We are committed to upholding our reputation as a center of excellence for repairs and will continue making substantial investment in advanced technology and machinery in the future,” says Derrick Siebert, Managing Director of ASSB. In fact, ASSB recently added the technologies of digital x-ray, fully-automated adaptive re-contouring, and adaptive milling and welding. In 2017, HPC airfoil repair capabilities for CFM56-5B/-7 tech insertion will also be introduced.
MTU and LHT entered into the joint venture with the aim of strengthening synergies between the two companies and creating economies of scale. Alongside repair development and baseload volume, the partners contribute knowledge, training and improved quality standards to the location. “Through ASSB, MTU and LHT have successfully achieved what they set out to do: combine extensive technical expertise, broaden their repair capabilities and grow,” says Siebert. “We are extremely proud of our technological portfolio and, on top of that, our 100% reliable delivery performance. ASSB is on a good path to the future and we are looking forward to the next 25 years!”
