Tatas to supply floor beams for Boeing 787 Dreamliner

TAL Manufacturing Solutions Ltd (TAL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Motors and a manufacturer of machine tools, is in the process of building prototypes of floor beams for Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner by September using composite materials. Boeing has delayed the launch of Dreamliner following some changes in the material used to manufacture the aircraft.

“TAL entered into a tie-up with Boeing two years ago to manufacture and supply floor beams for Dreamliner, and had developed the product using Titanium. However, Boeing changed the design and opted for composite materials (made using layers of metal sheets glued together) and asked us to change our products also. We will be delivering the first prototype made out of composite material at our Nagpur factory, set up exclusively for Boeing orders,” Sushil Verma, business unit head (machine tools), TAL, told Business Standard at IMTEX 2011, the machine tool exhibition. The beams will be used for flooring between passenger and luggage compartments.

Verma said the company’s aerospace business unit had set up a factory at Nagpur over 121,408 sq metres to manufacture aerospace components specifically for Boeing, among others. The company also supplies components to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for its advanced light helicopter. The aerospace business unit specialises in manufacturing precision components and assembling aero structures.

Atam P Arya, managing director, TAL, said, “The factory to cater to the requirements of Boeing is still to be completed fully. We will know the exact amount of investment that will go into this venture only when it is fully completed.”

“TAL is getting ready to fully meet up with the current and futuristic machining, and other manufacturing solutions requirements, in the most cost-effective and reliable manner. Our new range of machines has been developed keeping this in mind.’’

TAL is showcasing its latest five-axis production centre “TAL Flexi Cut 5-S 700”, the first indigenous machine based on Parallel Kinematics technology from Exechon AB, Sweden, at IMTEX 2011. The machine can handle bigger, complex parts for machining, with less congestion and effective chip removal. “This machine can be a good import substitute, as it is priced at 25-30 per cent lower than similar imported machines,” Arya said.

The company is likely to register a turnover of Rs 250 crore this financial year, a rise of around 25 per cent over last year, according to him.