PLYMOUTH, Mich.—Two Freudenberg-NOK sites have received supplier gold status for their service and support to United Technologies.
The firm's sites in Santa Ana, Calif., and Tillsonburg, Ontario, were honored for their customer collaboration, product quality and on-time delivery, among other factors. Freudenberg-NOK said both plants are AS-9100 and Nadcap certified. They produce a variety of precision seals, including fire seals, ducting, air inlet screens, grommets, gaskets and O-Rings for critical aerospace engine applications.
This is the seventh supplier gold status for Tillsonburg since 2009. Santa Ana received the award after implementing new quality and delivery procedures.
"We are honored to receive such recognition from UTC, a customer we value as an innovation leader in the aerospace industry," Vinay Nilkanth, vice president of the global mobility sector for Freudenberg-NOK, said in a statement "Employees at our Santa Ana and Tillsonburg facilities have consistently demonstrated a commitment to manufacturing improvements, product excellence and customer value, and I am proud of their accomplishments with these awards."
Supplier Gold status is the highest level of supplier achievement used by UTC. Freudenberg-NOK said the award is given to businesses that meet five qualifications—excellent customer service, on-time product delivery, best-in-class quality, cost and use of lean practices throughout operations. The award was established to help promote and facilitate the exceptional supplier practices and performances found among the thousands of suppliers who do business with UTC.
Freudenberg-NOK said it has more than 30 years of experience in designing and manufacturing precision sealing products for the aerospace industry. The firm's assistance in designing an advanced pylon seal solution for UTC Aerospace Systems has helped its customer—Embraer Commercial Aviation—meet its aggressive schedule for the first flight of its new E195-E2 jet.
The seals were delivered to UTAS in record time, according to Freudenberg-NOK, and met "burst duct" conditions involving higher pressures and larger system gaps.