Orbital ATK, Inc., a global leader in aerospace and defence technologies, as started the production of advanced composite primary structures for The Boeing Company’s 787 Dreamliner, in the Orbital ATK Freeport Composites Center in Clearfield, Utah.

The company is starting production of composite frames for the Boeing 787-9 center and aft fuselages, and will support identical structures on the 787-10 variant currently in development. Orbital ATK is expected to start shipping components in the first half of 2015, and will reach full production rates in 2018, the company said in a statement.

Joy de Lisser, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s aerospace structures division said, “Our manufacturing reputation is built on execution excellence, and we look forward to delivering world-class composite structures to Boeing to meet their growing 787 production rates.

This work scope adds to our long-term relationship of supporting Boeing with composite structures spanning many dynamic products across the commercial aircraft, military aircraft, launch vehicle and satellite industries.”

Production of these composite frames continues Orbital ATK’s long history of providing composite structures to Boeing on platforms such as the Boeing 767 and 757 aircraft and composite fan cases on the Boeing 747-8 GEnx engine.

Orbital ATK designs, builds, and delivers space, defence and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defence electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. (GK)