AIDC Breaks Ground for Advanced Composite-material Center

Taipei, Aug. 25, 2009 (CENS)--To further tap the global aerospace composite-material market, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), the largest aircraft maker in Taiwan, recently broke ground to build its NT$2.01 billion (US$61.7 million) and 4.13-hectare composite-material facility, the Taiwan Advanced Composite-material Center (TACC).

The TACC will kick off production in October or November 2010 to generate an annual production value of NT$4 billion (US$123.08 million at US$1: NT$32.5) in 2014, as well as expected to help upgrade the production value of related aerospace sectors in Taiwan, such as equipment, instrument, material, mold/die etc., to about NT$10 billion (US$307.69 million).

At the ground-breaking ceremony, AIDC chairman Shung Yeou-kuang said that in the future about half of the aircraft structure would be of composites. For example, Shung said, half of the Boeing 787 jetliner are parts and structures in carbon/glass fiber composites, and the aircraft's engine also adopts a lot composites in making turbines and housing.

The TACC is in AIDC's plant in Shalu, Taichung in central Taiwan. Currently, AIDC's composite-material businesses generate an annual revenue of about NT$700 million (US$21.5 million).

The new plant would focus on development and production of composite aviation parts and components smaller than 10m x 4m, such as rudders for single-aisle jetliners.