Reliance Awarded Second Space Contract from Airbus

Following successful completion of the NeoSMG (Stepper Motor Gearbox) Space Qualification Review and an initial delivery of units to Airbus Defence & Space (‘Airbus’), Reliance Precision Limited (‘Reliance’) is delighted to announce it has been awarded a second contract.

This second contract, for production of 26 gearboxes, follows quickly on the back of the successful completion of the initial contract which involved design, development and prototyping work for the gearbox, and an initial production run of 16 units.

The assembly of this second batch is due to begin in December, with delivery planned over the next few years. In preparation for the assembly process, Reliance has already sourced the long lead time items to mitigate any market volatility and minimise risk to the planned production schedule. These items include parts from their approved supply chain as well as in-house manufactured components.

Investment also continues in additional test equipment, tooling, contingency stock and staff training, with the build of a new cleanroom, dedicated specifically to space products, being in the final phase of completion.

Andy Butt, Reliance’s Business Manager – Aerospace Defence & Space, comments “This award cements Reliance’s position as a key supplier of electro-mechanical assemblies to the space industry and enables investment in facilities to support the future. We will be looking to build on this success by turning our focus to the international market to assess demand for this excellent product.”