Complex Moldings Garner Dreamliner 787-Related Award

Don’t blame Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing of Bristol, RI, for any of the much-publicized supply problems leading to production delays of the Boeing Dreamliner 787. It was announced this week that Tri-Mack is the first recipient of General Electric Aviation’s Supplier Quality Awareness Award for work on parts for the GEnx-1b, a next-generation turbofan engine.

The GEnx-1b incorporates a new technology for oil cooling that uses a surface flow cooler on the outer flow path of the aft fan case. The cooling system uses composite fairings, for which Tri-Mack manufactured six different injection-molded parts using complex mold tooling on a demanding schedule. The GEnx-1b is being developed for the Boeing 787 and 747-8.

Use of composites is the hallmark of the Dreamliner, which makes greater use of carbon composites than any previous aircraft. The composites in the engine help keep weight low. No specifics were provided on the types of materials used for the fairings, but Tri-Mack specializes in the molding of heat -heat thermoplastics, such as Torlon, liquid crystal polymers, PEEK, PEI, PPS, and polyimide.  Machine capacity at the company ranges from 28 to 600 tons of clamping force. Tri-Mack makes its own molds.

Tri-Mack was established in 1974 to manufacture aircraft engine friction-wear plastic parts by Edward J. Mack, an expert in polymer chemistry and tribology (material friction, wear and toughness). The company sells its own brand (Maxton) of ultra high performance self-lubricated bearing materials.