Hanwha Aerospace certified to verify Rolls-Royce aircraft engine parts

Hanwha Aerospace Co., a unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, has been certified to conduct the quality checks on aircraft engine parts it supplies to Rolls-Royce, the UK-based aircraft engine manufacturer.

Hanwha Aerospace said in a statement on Jan. 19 that it has become the first partner company of Rolls-Royce to achieve the highest level of the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) certification.

The certification will allow Hanwha to inspect and approve on its own the quality of engine parts it develops before moving to the mass production stage for the UK aircraft engine maker.

Rolls-Royce has so far conducted such quality checks itself on engine components supplied from its global partners, including Hanwha.

Hanwha Aerospace said the certification will be applied to its local plant in Changwon and another factory in Vietnam.

Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s three major aircraft engine manufacturers alongside two US firms – General Electric (GE) and Pratt & Whitney (P&W).

“Hanwha is the only company among hundreds of Rolls-Royce partners around the world to be allowed to approve mass production of certain parts. It’s because of our manufacturing know-how accumulated over the past 40 years,” said Nam Hyung-wook, head of Hanwha Aerospace's Changwon plant.

Warwick Matthews, chief procurement officer of Rolls-Royce, said the certification is the result of Hanwha’s continuous efforts to ensure successful delivery and flawless quality.

Hanwha has been working with Rolls-Royce since 1984 as one of its military engine maintenance and repair work operators. It has since expanded cooperation with the UK firm by making cases and modules for various engines including those in the Trent series, Rolls-Royce's state-of-the-art civil aircraft engine series.

The Korean company won Rolls-Royce’s Best Partner Award in 2018 and struck a $1 billion deal with the UK company in 2019 to supply aircraft engine parts.

Last week, Hanwha Aerospace said it is acquiring a 30% stake in Satrec Initiative Co., a Korean Earth observation satellite maker, for 109 billion won ($99 million) to expand its aerospace business.

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at Kkm1026@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.