Unitech Composites to manufacture composite Wing Lockers for Raisbeck Engineering
The Idaho-based supplier is using this $10 million award to optimize production of large, complex, hand layup assemblies for the King Air utility aircraft family.
Pictured are Raisbeck’s Crown Wing Lockers, adding 17 cubic feet of secure, watertight storage outside of the aircraft cabin. Photo Credit: Unitech Group, Raisbeck
Unitech Composites Inc. (Hayden, Idaho, U.S.) a supplier of complex composite components and assemblies for the aerospace and defense industry, has announced a $10 million award for the manufacture of Raisbeck Engineering’s (Tukwila, Wash., U.S.) Crown Wing Lockers — an exterior cabin space for storing luggage and cargo — for the King Air utility aircraft family.
According to Unitech Composites, the award is significant, furthering the company’s strategy of focusing on large, complex, hand layup assemblies with tight-tolerance composite CNC machining requirements. Unitech notes that this program is large in terms of volume and parts manufacturing, requiring the company to optimize manufacturing to meet the build rate and production flow.
“This is an important program award for Unitech that shows the success of the entire organization and especially the commitment of Unitech’s management team to lean manufacturing and incorporation of the Toyota Production System. Without the commitment to a lean operation, we wouldn’t have been able to meet the aggressive cost targets,” says Simon Shackelton, director of business development for the Unitech Group’s North American operations. “Raisbeck is a new customer for Unitech Composites, and we are excited to be working with them on this program.”
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