China's Xian SAVI Nacelles joint venture of Aircelle and AVIC Aircraft Co. Ltd ramps up the production of thrust reverser doors for CFM56 engines

This week's Airshow China 2014 is spotlighting the progress achieved by the Chinese Xian SAVI Nacelles joint venture of Aircelle (Safran) and AVIC Aircraft Co. Ltd, which is reaching the output of some 2,000 blocker doors per year for Aircelle's thrust reversers utilized on CFM56-5A and CFM56-5B engines that power Airbus A320 Family jetliners.

Located at Xi'an, China, the Xian SAVI Nacelles operation was inaugurated in 2011 as a long-term industrial partnership to produce and assemble jet engine nacelle components, with the CFM56 thrust reverser blocker doors being one of its first manufacturing assignments.

Since the end of 2013, Xian SAVI Nacelles has been producing all of the blocker doors for Aircelle thrust reversers that equip the CFM International CFM56-5A/5B engines on A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. These doors are manufactured with a composite and metallic sandwich construction, and are pivoted open during thrust reverse on landing to block the jet engine's exhaust - providing breaking assistance for the aircraft.

Aircelle's thrust reverser on the CFM56 engine has four blocker doors each. The initial Chinese operators from Xian SAVI Nacelles were trained on the doors' production techniques by Aircelle at its Aircelle Maroc industrial facility in Casablanca, Morocco. Xian SAVI Nacelles employs nearly 100 persons in Xi'an, with its staffing expected to reach 200 in the future. To highlight Xian SAVI Nacelles' production capabilities, one of the thrust reverser blocker doors is being exhibited at Airshow China 2014 in Zhuhai as part of Aircelle's presence on the Safran group stand (Booth D3-6).

Aircelle is the second largest nacelle systems provider worldwide, and the leader globally for nacelles on top-of-the-line business jets. A subsidiary of Safran, it employs 3,500 people at seven sites in France, the United Kingdom and Morocco. Aircelle provides nacelle systems for all the market segments, from regional and business aircraft to the largest airliners. Aircelle also is developing the worldwide customer support and service activity for nacelles and their components.