Sikorsky recognizes top suppliers

Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky line of business honored its top suppliers at a recent ceremony in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Twenty-six suppliers were recognized, including 19 that received honors as Sikorsky Elite Suppliers for best-in-class performance in achieving on-time delivery, cost and quality standards during 2017. Presenting the awards were Dan Schultz, Sikorsky president, and Mike Ciocca, vice president, Supply Chain.

Sikorsky Program Supplier of the Year award recipients

• Black Hawk program support: Safran – Chihuahua, Mexico, provided the main harnesses for the UH-60M and HH-60M aircraft models resulting in historic cost savings over Multi-Year VIII prices. Safran also was honored as an Elite Supplier.

• HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter: RA Lalli - Stratford, Connecticut. RA Lalli was awarded 90 new parts on the CRH program, offering competitive pricing while beating the lead time requirements of the program.

• VH-92A: TIGHITCO - Berlin, Connecticut. TIGHITCO provides the complex forward and aft stair doors for the VH-92 development program. TIGHITCO accepted the challenge of this complicated component and has delivered to its commitment.

• S-97 Raider: Triumph Gear Systems – Park City, Utah. Triumph worked collaboratively with Sikorsky to develop a plan to reduce lead time on the gear box for the Raider program, supporting aircraft build schedule, while also supporting the JMR SB1> DEFIANT program.

• Aftermarket: Senior Aerospace – Enfield, Connecticut. Senior provides world class customer service and support, as well as quick turn times to quote requests. Their Enfield facility is an industry leading shop.

• CH-53K King Stallion: UTAS-Rome - Rome, New York. UTAS provides the tail drive components, shafts, bearing assemblies, and disconnect couplings for the CH-53K. The company has supported quick repair turn-around time, early flight tests, and has been forward-looking on product improvements using the latest technologies.

• Canadian Maritime Helicopter Program CH-148 Cyclone: Global Tooling Systems (GTS) – Macomb, Michigan, GTS provided the straightening tool prototype for the CMHP program that was well received by the customer and performed beyond expectations.

Sikorsky Elite Supplier honorees

• Aero Gear, Windsor, Connecticut, engineering and manufacturing of aerospace gears, geared systems and gearbox assemblies for the global aerospace industry. First achieved Gold status in April 2016 and has been a Sikorsky supplier for 30 years.

• Alpha Q, a small business supplier located in Colchester, Connecticut. Alpha Q has more than 50 years’ experience in precision machining, manufacture, assembly, and test of aerospace alloy components.

• ATI Cudahy, Wisconsin (ATI Ladish LLC – Forging) and ATI East Hartford, Connecticut (ATI Ladish Machining – Machining) is a global manufacturer of technically advanced specialty materials and complex components. For Sikorsky, ATI provides critical rotor and transmission components for key helicopter programs. These components are produced from various titanium and steel alloys forged and heat treated at ATI's Cudahy Operations in Wisconsin. In addition, many of these forgings are then finish machined at ATI's East Hartford Operations in Connecticut.

• Aurora Flight Science, Columbus, Mississippi – A Sikorsky Supplier for more than 10 years, Aurora's Aerostructures business unit specializes in complex design, build-to-print, and rapid prototyping of airframe structures and assemblies.

• Cherokee Nation Distributors, Stillwell, Oklahoma – Cherokee Nation's engineering & manufacturing products include wire harness assemblies, electro-mechanical assemblies, interconnect solutions, distribution, and kitting. Additionally, CND offers laser and water-jet fabrication, 5-axis machining, welding, and assembly for military aircraft, ground vehicles, missile, and UAV programs.

• GE Aviation, Clearwater, Florida, provides the latest avionics systems technology to the aerospace commercial and military markets including navigation and guidance systems, mission management, data transfer systems, aviation computing and interface solutions.

• Hexcel (Kent, Washington, and Salt Lake City, Utah) is a global leader in manufacturing advanced composite materials and structures for the commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets. Hexcel is the proud supplier of a broad range of carbon fiber, prepreg, honeycomb core, composite parts and structure, to multiple Sikorsky rotorcraft programs.

• IAI RAMTA, a division of Israeli Aerospace Industries Ltd., is an entirely government-owned and controlled corporation of the State of Israel. IAI RAMTA specializes in the design, conversion, and manufacture of military and civilian aircraft and helicopter parts/aerostructures, and the re-design of aircraft components from metallic to composite materials.

• LORD, Dayton, Ohio – a provider of elastomeric bearings. In 2017, LORD supported Sikorsky with tail blade bearings for retrofit. LORD Corp. is a diversified technology and manufacturing company, developing highly reliable adhesives, coatings, motion management devices, and sensing technologies that significantly reduce risk and improve product performance.

• Safran Electrical & Power - Chihuahua, Mexico, and Denton, Texas, is a global aerospace and defense company, and a world leader in electrical wiring interconnection systems, ventilation, and electrical power generation. The company’s capabilities support the entire electrical value chain from engineering design and certification, to manufacturing, integration, installation and aftermarket support. Safran Electrical and Power participates on multiple defense and commercial platforms for Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin including the Black Hawk, S-92 and F-16 programs.

• Senior Aerospace, Enfield, Connecticut, is an aerospace components manufacturer, specializing in complex machining, assembly, and coatings. Products include rotorcraft main rotor and tail rotor dynamic components, transmission and gearbox assemblies, and aero-engine components including rotating and non-rotating components.

• TATA Advanced Systems Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary and strategic entity of the global business conglomerate of TATA Sons in India. It is focused on providing integrated solutions for aerospace, defense and homeland security. It is also the global single source for Sikorsky's S-92 helicopter cabins with 140+ TASL made cabins flying worldwide.

• Triumph Fabrications, an operating company of Triumph Precision Components, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, manufactures chemical milled, hydroformed, stretch formed, hot formed, and superplastic formed parts and assemblies for the aerospace and defense industries.

• Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI) is Turkey's center of technology in design, development, modernization, manufacturing, integration, and life cycle support of integrated aerospace systems, from fixed and rotary wing air platforms to UAVs and satellites.

• TEK Precision based in Deer Park, New York, was the first Sikorsky-sponsored Supplier Gold manufacturer, celebrating their 10th year as a Gold/Elite supplier. TEK is a lean based manufacturer and provider of rotary mission system components for the UH-60 and derivative platforms.

• TFab Manufacturing LLC (TFab), a subsidiary of Tyonek Manufacturing Group Inc., manufactures and assembles numerous products including relay panels for Sikorsky. In 2017, the company marked a significant milestone when the 10,000th relay panel for the Black Hawk was shipped. TFab was named Sikorsky's Supplier of the Year for Black Hawk Programs, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems' Outstanding Small Business, and has achieved Sikorsky Supplier Gold status since 2015.