Mitsubishi H.I. shifts Boeing 777 door production to Vietnam
Mitsubishi H.I. shifts Boeing 777 door production to Vietnam
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) inaugurated Wednesday its second manufacturing factory in Vietnam, which will assemble passenger doors for the Boeing 777 aircraft.
The newly completed plant was constructed as an addition to MHI’s existing factory, which makes inboard flaps for the Boeing 737, in the Thang Long Industrial Park on the outskirts of Hanoi, the company said in a press release.
Both factories are operated by MHI’s Vietnam unit, the MHI Aerospace Vietnam Co., Ltd. (MHIVA).
Initially the 6,500 square meter plant will only conduct structural assembly of passenger doors for the Boeing 777, a task transferred from MHI's Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works, according to MHI.
“Subsequently MHIVA will take full responsibility for total assembly work of the passenger doors,” it said.
The new plant inauguration ceremony was also held to mark the shipment of MHIVA’s 1,000th inboard flap for the Boeing 737.
"The MHIVA 777 door factory opening and 1,000th 737 inboard flap delivery milestones we celebrate today are a recognition of the skilled local workforce and proven high quality manufacturing performance that MHIVA and Vietnam bring to the table," Boeing Southeast Asia president Skip Boyce said.
"This stringent requirement for high quality manufacturing capability will only continue to grow in importance as Boeing ramps up production rates to keep up with global aircraft demand."
The MHIVA began producing inboard flaps for the Boeing 737 at its 4,500 square meter factory shortly after its opening in 2009, according to MHI.
MHIVA at first only handled partial assembly work before production processes were gradually expanded. Today the company is responsible for complete assembly of the inboard flaps, it added.
MHIVA was established by MHI in 2007 as one of various initiatives targeted at establishing an efficient supply chain as a way of enhancing the company's competitive strength, according to the Tokyo-based company.
MHI is presently undertaking numerous large-scale commercial aircraft projects, such as making composite-material wing boxes for the mid Boeing 787 passenger jet, and producing the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, Japan's first domestically-developed passenger jet.
The company said it is also “taking steps to build up its production systems and expand production capacity,” adding that the launch of the new Vietnam factory “is an integral part of these initiatives.”
U.S. planemaker Boeing has produced more than 1,200 of the large twinjet passenger aircraft units since its first flight in 1994, according to MHI.
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