Aero Gearbox International (AGI), a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Safran Transmission Systems, has officially opened a new 13,500m2 facility in Ropczyce (Podkarpackie Province in southeast Poland). The site will produce accessory drive trains (ADT) for all of Rolls-Royce's future civil aircraft engines.
The facility already employs more than 50 people, and the workforce is expected to eventually grow to 200 direct positions. With the development of the necessary infrastructure and partnerships in southeast Poland further indirect employment will be created.
Accessory drive trains, or accessory gearboxes, transmit power from the engine to drive systems and accessories such as fuel pumps, hydraulic pumps and electrical generators.
The new plant has already launched production of ADTs for the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine, which powers the Airbus A350 XWB, and subsequent projects will include future business jet applications and ADTs for the Trent 7000 engine, which will power the Airbus A330neo.
The opening ceremony was held in the presence of Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, as well as Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce and Stéphane Abrial, Senior Executive VP International and Public Affairs, Safran.
The creation of AGI, along with plans to build the Polish facility, was announced in October 2014. The joint venture capitalizes on the combined expertise of its parent companies, encompassing the design and production of accessory drive trains by Safran Transmission Systems and engine design and propulsion system integration by Rolls-Royce.