The Nordam Group announced that international subsidiary Nordam Europe Ltd. (NEL) has been designated an authorized service center for Embraer Aviation International. Selected structural airframe components, including flight control surfaces and engine nacelles are part of the authorization awarded in June.

“NEL’s core competency in aircraft component repair and overhaul, together with our international network of repair facilities worldwide, has convinced Embraer that Nordam is the right partner in supporting Embraer’s aftermarket needs,” said Tom Wilson, NEL managing director and v-p of Nordam International Operations.

NEL, a joint venture with General Electric Aircraft Engine Services, is a full-service airframe component, reverser and nacelle overhaul and repair facility with rotable and spare support servicing the European region. Wilson said NEL’s service center designation from Embraer was determined by past support to Embraer’s European customer base.

Nordam also announced that its Nordam Nacelle/Thrust Reverser Systems division has been selected to design, manufacture and support the center engine S-duct and air inlet for the Falcon 7X, Dassault’s newest aircraft. The S-duct will be integrated in the rear fuselage section, which is being built by Latecoere in Toulouse, France.

A joint development phase will be held in Paris for approximately six months, enabling Nordam engineers to participate in the Falcon 7X propulsion system design process. Production of the S-duct and air inlet is expected to begin in Tulsa, Okla., in the third quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, the company has completed a 125,000-sq-ft expansion of its facility there, bringing plant space dedicated to engineering and manufacturing to a total of 375,000 sq ft. The expansion began in March 2001 and marks the second time it has been enlarged since  its grand opening in 1998.

“We have added a second 10-foot by 50-foot autoclave, an additional 7,930 square feet of clean room capacity and a new CNC-driven waterjet for trimming and routing,” said Tom Villani, division v-p. “The new space also houses a class/training room that can accommodate up to 100 people, as well as our thermal imaging operations. In addition, we have dedicated approximately 15,000 square feet for tool storage.”

Villani also announced that an Internet-based technical publication order system called NorTech Technical Information Service has been put online. “With NorTech, customers can review our publications list categorized by OEM and aircraft model and order the document they need online,” he said. He noted that NorTech allows customers to have easy password-protected access to technical publications about the nacelle and thrust reverser systems manufactured by Nordam.

Meanwhile, Nordam’s Interiors and Structures division has moved into its new 468,000-sq-ft facility in Tulsa, almost concurrently with its winning a contract to supply the integrated interior shell for the Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 business jet.

“Our new facility allows us to consolidate all our operations under a single roof for the first time in many years,” said Nordam Manufacturing divisions president Ron Richman.

Designed from a lean layout concept, the facility accommodates all of the Nordam Group’s Interiors and Structures’ operations, which include manufacturing, engineering, R&D, administrative and customer support. It has a new autoclave, drive-in freezer for adhesive materials, and a wastewater treatment system. The plant also has two fully automated cleanlines.

Completed shells for the SJ30-2 include the integrated covering, oxygen, ducting and electrical systems. The completed shells will be delivered beginning in December.

In other Nordam Group news, the Nordam Texas facility broke ground for a new anechoic chamber transmissivity indoor test range to conduct ultra-sensitive testing of aircraft radome systems and expanded its thrust reverser capabilities to reach a broader range of customers.

The Fort Worth indoor test range will complement the existing far-field outdoor range, which has been in use since 1994. The expansion to the thrust reverser capabilities will give Nordam Texas the ability to perform repair and full overhaul of Embraer ERJ-145 thrust reversers and selected components of the CF34, which include upper and lower translating cowl doors, core cowls and blocker door bearing replacements.

Finally, the Nordam Group announced that Andrew Allendorf was promoted to president of World Aviation Associates; Joe Green has been promoted to v-p of sales and marketing for the Nordam Repair Division; Steven Lewis and Steve Roreback were named account directors for the Nordam Group; Rick Smith was promoted to v-p of engineering and technology of the Nordam Group; and Tray Siegfried has been promoted to v-p of strategic growth for the Nordam Manufacturing Divisions.