Icon Polymer Group, a technology company in engineered polymer products, has received a major accolade from a leading global player in defence aircraft for the quality of its manufacturing and supply chain management.

US-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has recognised Icon Polymer for its achievement of 100 per cent on-time delivery and zero quality defects over a full calendar year.

This further confirms Icon Polymer's status as a true global partner to the aerospace sector, able to deliver high-specification, high-performance products to challenging deadlines, wherever in the world they are needed.

Qualified to supply to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics through its accreditation with BAe Systems, Icon Polymer has for the last three years been the premier supplier of lightweight silicone ducting used in the environmental cooling system on the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II, developed as a part of the international Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme.

The ducting is manufactured at Icon Polymer's facility at Retford in the UK, with consignments shipped to Lockheed facility at Fort Worth, Texas, each year to meet exacting delivery deadlines. Icon Polymer also supplies a number of other customers that support this platform.

The recognition is a further validation of Icon's unique, agile Face2Face approach, based on gaining a thorough understanding of the customer and individual application needs, then designing and delivering products to meet those requirements. Icon Polymer is believed to be the only company from outside the US to have achieved the standard during this period.

Tom Simmons, Vice-President – Supply Chain Management at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics at the time of recognition, explained: “Our customers' expectation of zero defects demands laser focus from our suppliers to enable Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to be the world's leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance combat, air mobility, and reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft.

“We wish to thank Icon Polymer and its employees for showing excellent workmanship and superior standard of performance to bring the best quality and value to our customer and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.”

Tom Ludwell, Head of Business Development at Icon Polymer, added: “This accolade is testament to Icon Polymer's unique working ethos and global capabilities, as an approved supplier to all of the major manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. Many of Lockheed Martin's suppliers are US-based but this shows that Icon Polymer can deliver to meet the needs of manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers wherever in the world they are based, making us an effective partner for any project.”