Moeller Delivers Initial Production Lot of Click-Loc(TM) Borescope Plugs for Pratt & Whitney
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Moeller has completed and shipped the first production lot of Click-Loc(TM) borescope plugs and locks for the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. These borescope plugs and locks will be installed in engines undergoing ground testing as part of the F135 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase as well as those engines being installed in flight qualified aircraft.
The first prototype Click-Loc(TM) borescope plugs and locks were delivered to Pratt & Whitney in September 2006. Those parts were installed in a ground test F135 engine to validate the Click-Loc(TM) design. Pratt & Whitney came to Moeller when it became apparent that their original borescope and lock design, as well as an alternate design by another supplier, was failing in 11 to 35 hours. The first prototype Click-Loc(TM) borescope plugs and locks have subsequently accumulated hundreds of hours and are still in service and working perfectly.
Moeller borescope plugs are also used in the GE90 engine for the Boeing 777, the EJ200 engine for the Eurofighter Typhoon, and the GE F101/110 engine families for the F-16, F-15, B-1, B-2, F-14, and U-2 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney's selection of Click-Loc(TM) for their F135 engine further solidifies Moeller's position as the world's leading producer of self-locking borescope plugs.
Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine is the power of choice for an advanced, single-engine tactical fighter, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), being developed by Lockheed Martin. Rated at over 40,000 pounds of thrust, the F135 is the most powerful fighter engine ever built.
The first production F135 engine for operational service is scheduled for delivery in 2007. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will serve the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines, Britain's Royal Air Force and Navy and other international customers.
Moeller Mfg. Co., Inc./Aircraft Division headquartered in Wixom, MI, employs approximately 320 people in facilities in Wixom and Harbor Springs. 2007 revenues are expected to exceed $50 million. Moeller is a market leader in high precision machined parts and specialized locking devices for the aircraft engine and power generation industries. Click-Loc(TM) is a registered trademark of Moeller. More information about the company is available online at www.moelleraircraft.com.
