The Grand Prix at the latest Safran innovation Awards went to the SNECMA (Safran Groupe) and Aubert & Duval (ERAMET Groupe) teams who jointly developed a new alloy that goes into the composition of ML340 aircraft engines.
The 8th Safran Innovation Awards ceremony took place on May 22nd. This event celebrates Safran’s innovation culture and rewards innovative projects by employees of the Groupe’s companies and its partners and suppliers.
This year the Executive Committee decided to honour new manufacturing materials and processes. The Grand Prix went to the Snecma and Aubert & Duval teams who developed ML340, a high-strength alloy resulting from their joint research work.
This new high-performance steel is designed for the turbine shafts of Snecma’s LEAP and Silvercrest engines. It has enabled the manufacturer to reduce the shafts’ mass and diameter while increasing engine yield and cutting fuel consumption by 15%. This is a major competitive advantage for Snecma. ML340’s promising launch and intrinsic qualities point to further applications in aerospace.
