OREANDA-NEWS. July 12, 2012. VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation, the Russian manufacturer of titanium, aluminium and steel mill products, open and closed die forgings and rough machined parts, and Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd.(SAMC), final assembly and manufacturing center of COMAC and one of COMAC's three key centers, have signed the Long Term Contract for Purchase of the Forging Products in titanium for COMAC C919 Aircraft Program.

The co-operation of VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation and COMAC’s enterprises has started at the initial stage of C919 program with significant amount of design and development work performed jointly with Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute (SADRI), the main design institute for COMAC C919 program.

According to the Long Term Contract a major share of a large number of critical parts to be supplied as titanium closed die forgings will be produced by VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation. The Parties are also in discussion regarding semi-finish machining of these die forgings. This Contract will be in force for ten years and valid till December 2021.

PSC VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation is the world’s largest vertically integrated manufacturer of titanium ingots, all types of mill products and closed die forgings in titanium alloys. Corporation employs approximately 20,000 people globally including a number of distribution and service centers located in USA, Europe and Asia. The volume of Corporation’s export sales is more than 70% of annual production. Corporation has obtained 300 international certificates for quality management system, manufacturing processes, inspection techniques and specific products in titanium and other materials.

Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (SAMC) is the final assembly and manufacturing center of COMAC and one of COMAC's three key centers. It is mainly responsible for the final assembly of C919 large aircraft and ARJ-21 regional jet, and manufacturing of core components.

SAMC (formerly the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory) was established in 1950. SAMF/SAMC successfully developed China's first large trunk liner (Y-10), co-manufactured with McDonnell Douglas 35 MD-82/83 aircraft, and completed, as a principal manufacturing factory, 2 MD-90 trunk liners, 70% of whose aerostructures were localized.

Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute is the design and research center of COMAC and one of COMAC's three key centers. It is primarily responsible for design, testing, advanced research and key technologies of regional jets and trunk liners.

Before being a member of COMAC, SADRI had performed research and design tasks for various civil aircraft programs ever since its inception in the 1970s. It independently completed the design of China's first large trunk liner program (Y-10) and co-designed with its Shaanxi colleagues an airtight aircraft (Y-8). It participated in McDonnell Douglas's super high bypass technology development along with other international cooperative projects. SADRI completed the liaison engineering and airworthiness tasks for the MD-82/83 aircraft and MD-90 trunk liners.