LAI ramps up for new aerospace work

New tooling to reduce cycle time by 67%

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 2, 2008—LAI International, Inc., a strategic supplier of precision components and sub-assemblies for original equipment manufacturers, is ramping up for production of aerospace components manufactured using new automated parts-handling technology.
The workstation is capable of producing 800 of the complex parts a day. The components are couplings for high-pressure air bypass devices used on commercial and military jet aircraft. 
“Semi-automatic air-powered actuators in the custom-designed tooling replaces conventional clamping in the manufacturing process, reducing cycle times by 67 percent,” said Stephanie Miller, plant manager for the Westminster, Md., facility. “This advanced workstation includes a system for detecting and separating any defects and has a modular design to allow us a higher degree of manufacturing flexibility.”
A long-term agreement with the major aerospace manufacturer is forecast to be valued at more than $1 million annually. 
“The fixture is both evolutionary and revolutionary in the way it incorporates automatic motion systems and controls that have never been utilized in this manner, to our knowledge," David Krump, sales director, said. “The new fixture will allow LAI to handle all current production needs as well as any spikes in our customer's requirements that frequently occur in aerospace manufacturing.”
   The customer used to produce all of the parts in house, but turned to LAI for its production expertise in precision machining, allowing them to outsource 100 percent of the parts to LAI at a lower cost with no scheduled interruptions. This enabled them to shut down their machining centers that produced these parts and pursue a long-term, multi-year agreement with LAI as a sole-source supplier.

About LAI International
   LAI is the premier manufacturer of precision engineered components and assemblies for aerospace, power generation, defense and other advanced technology industries. The company is a major supplier of finished goods. Its technology, engineering and manufacturing solutions are the lifeblood of airframes, aircraft engines, power generators, defense systems and other mission-critical applications. LAI is the largest precision contract manufacturer in its class with the fastest growth as ranked by Inc. Magazine.
   LAI has longstanding and strategic relationships with all leading global players in every area of their operations, including Boeing, Eaton, GE, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Timken, and more than 70 percent of Fortune 500 global manufacturers.
   LAI operates five manufacturing facilities, dispersed in key manufacturing regions across North America, with locations in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Tucson, Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine—all of which are ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 certified. The company also offers NADCAP certified non-conventional machining processes.
   For more information, see www.LAIco.com..

Quick Facts: LAI International, Inc.
- Founded: 1979
- Five U.S. mfg. facilities: Phoenix, Tucson, Minneapolis, Westminster, Md., and Scarborough, Maine
- Headquarters: Scottsdale, Ariz.
- All facilities ISO 9001:2000 | AS9100 certified
- An Inc. 5,000 fastest-growing company