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Eclipse Aviation Opens New Friction Stir Weld Center
Very Light Jet leader takes major step towards delivering the Eclipse 500 jet in production volumes
ALBUQUERQUE, NM - March 10, 2004 - Today friction stir welding pioneer Eclipse Aviation will host city and state leaders at the dedication of its new Friction Stir Weld Center. Guests will tour the new 50,000 square foot facility, and witness a demonstration of Eclipse's breakthrough friction stir welding process. Friction stir welding is an advanced manufacturing process, which the company is the first to use in the assembly of thin-gauge aluminum aircraft.
“The opening of this facility marks another significant milestone for Eclipse and the City of Albuquerque,” said Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez. “The city has always supported the Eclipse vision and is excited to watch the company mature into an aviation leader. We look forward to continuing to help drive Eclipse's growth, which will result in more high-wage jobs in our community.”
New Operation Expands Eclipse's Albuquerque Footprint
Eclipse's Friction Stir Weld Center houses Eclipse's friction stir welding equipment and gantries, which are used to assemble most parts of the Eclipse 500 fuselage. It will also house the production assembly of the fuselage pressure vessel for the Eclipse 500 jet. This newest facility expands Eclipse's significant presence in Albuquerque, joining the company's 90,000 square foot headquarters and 45,000 square foot Sunport 2 manufacturing facility.
“Our pioneering work in friction stir welding dramatically accelerates traditional aircraft manufacturing cycle times, enabling us to produce the Eclipse 500 more quickly and cost effectively than any small jet in history,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “The opening of our Friction Stir Weld facility is a critical milestone as we progress rapidly towards our goal of manufacturing this innovative aircraft in high volumes, and at a groundbreaking level of price/performance.”
Eclipse's Friction Stir Weld Center will be staffed by up to 150 employees and will support manufacturing of up to four aircraft per day through 2008. In 2009, Eclipse will move to Double Eagle II airport, where the facilities will support assembly of 1,500 aircraft per year.
Eclipse Blazes Aviation Trail for Friction Stir Welding
Friction stir welding is one of the many innovations that set Eclipse Aviation apart in the Very Light Jet marketplace that the company created. Friction stir welding is highly automated and significantly faster than other structural joining processes. It enables a drastic reduction in aircraft assembly time and eliminates the need for thousands of rivets, resulting in reduced assembly costs, better quality joining and stronger, lighter joints.
Eclipse's friction stir welding specification is attracting the attention and commitment of respected aviation industry leaders like Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), which recently announced its intention to license Eclipse's friction stir welding process for use in the Eclipse 500 wing assemblies as well as other potential applications within FHI's manufacturing operations.
Eclipse's Friction Stir Weld Center opening celebration, an invitation only event, will be held today, March 10, 2004, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time (MT). The formal dedication will be made at 5:30 p.m. MT and feature presentations by Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez.
Construction of the new facility, which is leased to Eclipse by Waterman, Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, began in November of 2002. The operation is located in the Broadway Industrial Center on Albuquerque's Southwest side and is now fully operational.
“The opening of this facility marks another significant milestone for Eclipse and the City of Albuquerque,” said Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez. “The city has always supported the Eclipse vision and is excited to watch the company mature into an aviation leader. We look forward to continuing to help drive Eclipse's growth, which will result in more high-wage jobs in our community.”
New Operation Expands Eclipse's Albuquerque Footprint
Eclipse's Friction Stir Weld Center houses Eclipse's friction stir welding equipment and gantries, which are used to assemble most parts of the Eclipse 500 fuselage. It will also house the production assembly of the fuselage pressure vessel for the Eclipse 500 jet. This newest facility expands Eclipse's significant presence in Albuquerque, joining the company's 90,000 square foot headquarters and 45,000 square foot Sunport 2 manufacturing facility.
“Our pioneering work in friction stir welding dramatically accelerates traditional aircraft manufacturing cycle times, enabling us to produce the Eclipse 500 more quickly and cost effectively than any small jet in history,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “The opening of our Friction Stir Weld facility is a critical milestone as we progress rapidly towards our goal of manufacturing this innovative aircraft in high volumes, and at a groundbreaking level of price/performance.”
Eclipse's Friction Stir Weld Center will be staffed by up to 150 employees and will support manufacturing of up to four aircraft per day through 2008. In 2009, Eclipse will move to Double Eagle II airport, where the facilities will support assembly of 1,500 aircraft per year.
Eclipse Blazes Aviation Trail for Friction Stir Welding
Friction stir welding is one of the many innovations that set Eclipse Aviation apart in the Very Light Jet marketplace that the company created. Friction stir welding is highly automated and significantly faster than other structural joining processes. It enables a drastic reduction in aircraft assembly time and eliminates the need for thousands of rivets, resulting in reduced assembly costs, better quality joining and stronger, lighter joints.
Eclipse's friction stir welding specification is attracting the attention and commitment of respected aviation industry leaders like Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), which recently announced its intention to license Eclipse's friction stir welding process for use in the Eclipse 500 wing assemblies as well as other potential applications within FHI's manufacturing operations.
Eclipse's Friction Stir Weld Center opening celebration, an invitation only event, will be held today, March 10, 2004, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time (MT). The formal dedication will be made at 5:30 p.m. MT and feature presentations by Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez.
Construction of the new facility, which is leased to Eclipse by Waterman, Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, began in November of 2002. The operation is located in the Broadway Industrial Center on Albuquerque's Southwest side and is now fully operational.
About Eclipse:
Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. The company is applying advanced electronics systems, manufacturing and business practices to produce aircraft that cost less than a quarter of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
The goal of Eclipse is to bring the word "personal" into aviation, making it possible for commercial air passengers to move directly between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis. It will also allow pilot owners to enter the world of jet-powered aviation.