Boeing recently announced a new 90,000-square-foot expansion of its facility in Helena, Montana, to support 777X airplane production. The site is set to install new machine tools to fabricate critical titanium parts for the company's newest family of twin-aisle aircraft.
"Our investment in Boeing Helena is a testament to our incredible, hard-working team members and their ability to deliver on our commitments to the Boeing Company," said Kim Smith, Boeing's vice president and general manager. "It further positions our highly skilled Montana team of nearly 150 employees as a key partner for Boeing Commercial Airplanes."
Now more than 257,000 square feet, the Helena facility has become a vital part of the supply chain, specializing in complex machining of hard metals for Boeing's 737, 747, 767 and 787 airplane models – and now the 777X. The new parts machined in Helena for the 777X will include side-of-body chords and terminal end fittings which connect the wings to the fuselage.
Designed to provide 12 percent lower fuel consumption and 10 percent lower operating costs than competing aircraft, the 777X will also incorporate a number of new technologies, including an all-new high-efficiency wing.
For more information, visit www.boeing.com.