Airfoils, LLC

SMP Plant

 Airfoils Division

PCC Airfoils is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Precision Castparts Corp.
The Airfoils Division casts intricate geometry blades, vanes, and vane segments for the high-temperature turbine section of commercial jet engines, military jet engines, and power generation equipment.  Hot section airfoils must be able to maintain their structural integrity in an environment of extreme temperatures and corrosive gases.  Their manufacture requires the use of special super alloys that are resistant to high temperature, corrosion, and stress. The complex shapes
required of these components can be achieved only with advanced investment casting technology.


Current aerospace trends have placed a premium on engine performance and fuel efficiency; and, since performance and fuel efficiency both increase as the gas temperature inside the engine increases - this has created a need for airfoils that operate at higher service temperatures.

Demand for such airfoils has led to two advances on the grain structure of airfoil castings: directionally solidified (DS) and single crystal casting.  Both advances are attempts to increase the high-temperature threshold of airfoil applications by altering the grain structure of the metal.  (Grain boundaries are the weak link in cast parts.)

DS blades and vanes are solidified in a way that essentially orients all grain boundaries in the alloy in a single direction.  As a result of this longitudinal grain alignment, both ductility and resistance to thermal fatigue is improved.

Single crystal castings eliminate grain boundaries altogether, as parts are produced that consist of a single crystal.  The current method employed to produce these castings requires the most stringent control of the solidification cycle and the entire investment casting process.

PCC Airfoils, a leading producer of these components, has developed highly automated casting furnaces for the manufacture of blades and vanes.  Significant process development at PCC Airfoils with ceramic cores, solidification technology, and inspection methods assures our continued strength in this market. PCC Airfoils, LLC consists of multiple manufacturing sites in the United States, Mexico, and England.

 About SMP

• The main facility is located in Wickliffe, Ohio, with a satellite plant in neighboring Eastlake.

• The two plants utilize 175,000 sq. ft.

• SMP employs over 600 people.

• Emphasizes Continuous Improvement, Quality Leadership, Industry Experience, and Overall Quality in order to achieve customer satisfaction.

• Quality Certifications:  ISO 9001:2000, ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001:2000, NADCAP

• Customers include General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, Rolls Royce, MTU, Nuovo Pignone, and others for military, commercial, and industrial applications.

 Products and Capabilities

• Uses the Investment Casting process to manufacture high temperature rotating blades and stationary vanes for the hot sections of jet aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines.

• Specializes in Equiax, Directionally Solidified, and Single Crystal cast, nickel based, superalloys with complex internal cooling passages to withstand turbine temperatures of 2400°F or more.

• Available advanced technologies include: Unigraphics CAD software, Model based CMM Inspection using VALISYS, In-House Solidification Modeling, Water Jet Metal Cutting, and 4 Axis CNC High Speed Milling.