Leap Fan Blade Partners Open New Plant in France

Safran, Albany International host French president François Hollande

Safran uses the resin transfer molding process to make 3-D woven parts for the CFM Leap series. (Photo: Safran)

November 24, 2014

France’s Safran and U.S. textiles and composites maker Albany International inaugurated a new plant in Commercy, France, on Monday to produce 3-D woven parts for CFM International’s Leap series of turbofan engines. Jean-Paul Herteman, chairman and CEO of Safran, and Joseph Morone, president and CEO of Albany International, accompanied French president François Hollande during the ceremonies, held just six months after the inauguration of the partners’ Rochester sister factory. Both facilities, which combined account for a $200 million investment, perform the same activity: production of fan blades and fan cases using what they call a revolutionary 3D-woven composite resin transfer molding (RTM) technology designed to combine damage tolerance with light weight. Safran subsidiary Snecma carries responsibility for the fan blades and cases for the Leap, advertised to offer a 15-percent reduction in fuel consumption attributable partly to its composite components.

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