Page 64 - Plastics News June 2017

IN THE NEWS

Aircraft with plastic wings Telangana government to set
makes maiden voyage in Russia up plastics industry clusters

nited Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the Russian state he Telangana government is close to
Uaeroplane manufacturer, has completed its project Tidentifying sites for setting up exclusive
clusters for plastics manufacturing units
to build the Irkut MC-21, a single aisle twin jet passenger in the State. It is scouting for a couple
aeroplane, which made its maiden flight I the last week of locations and has zeroed in on some
of May. The plane made a test flight from the Irkutsk Irkut lands in Siddipet, Bhongir, Medchal and Sangareddy in
airfield, in central Siberia, and UAC plans it to serve cities the State with potential for setting up the cluster. The
Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation,
the nodal agency for setting up industries in the state,
has engaged the services of consultancy firm Grant
Thornton to facilitate the development of the proposed
clusters.Earlier this month TSIIC Chairman Y Balamallu
held a meeting with representatives of the Telangana
State Plastics Manufacturers Association assuring them
of all support for the early implementation of the cluster
proposals. With the state looking at facilitating the
setting up of a furniture cluster near Hyderabad, this
could come up along with the proposed plastics cluster.
across Siberia. The MC-21 has wings made from carbon
fibre polymer, built by Sukhoi, with a HexPly carbon fibre The Swedish home furnishing major IKEA, which is setting
up its first retail store in the country in Hyderabad, is
and epoxy prepreg composite supplied by Hexcel for poised to commission its first one by the year-end or
the tail structure. Thierry Merlot, Hexcel President of early next year. The retail chain is also expected to
Aerospace, said: “Hexcel is very proud to be associated facilitate the development of furniture and plastics
with this new adventure and landmark within the Russian industries in the State as it steps up local sourcing.
Aviation History, and we congratulate the United Aircraft During a presentation on the sector made by Tushar
Corporation on its achievement. The MC-21 aircraft Sharma of Grant Thornton, the TSIIC mentioned that the
government would play a role in facilitating the setting
employs the latest advanced composites processes and up of units in the cluster while also linking up with the
material solutions and Hexcel has made a significant MSME finance from the Centre.
contribution to the development of these technologies.”
UAC is a corporation combining the aircraft companies of Amplast new name for Italian
the Soviet era – Tupolev, Yakovlev, Sukhoi and Irkut, in one mould making association
aircraft company. UAC started work in 2008 on a successor Assacomaplast
to the Tupolev 154, and set out to build a more efficient
and lighter rival to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, with he Italian association of plastics processing machinery
a cheaper list price of £70 million. Tand mould makingAssacomaplast has announced it is
changing its name to Amaplast. The rebrand is a change in
The plane can hold up to 211 passengers, and UAC will tack for the organisation after 60 years of success under
use the MC-21 to target the largest sector within the the Assacomaplast name, which is synonymous with the
commercial aerospace market - regional to medium haul Italian plastics industry.
flights. The aircraft is expected to begin commercial The new Amaplast (abbreviated to AMP) branding
operations in 2019 pending approval from the European includes a tricolour logo in the green, white and red
Aviation Safety Authority. Yuri Slyusar, President of the colours of the Italian flag. News of the rebrand came
United Aircraft Corporation, said: “This is not just a first on June 7th 2017 at the association's assembly, when
flight of a new aircraft, but rather an advance of the Alessandro Grassi was declared President of Amaplast
until 2019. "The new name is shorter and easier to
product that will determine the shape of the Russian pronounce, especially for foreigners," Grassiwas quoted
civilian aviation industry for the next 50 years.” by Polymerica as saying.

Plastics News | June 2017 64