Turnkey Development Provides Delta IV Launch Vehicle with One-Piece Fuel Tank Domes that Weigh Less and Stretch Dollars Further

Spincraft, a single-source
provider of metal working solutions for the aerospace industry, announced
today it had culminated the first phase of its groundbreaking contract with
The Boeing Company with the successful November 20 launch of Boeing’s Delta IV
Medium 4,2 rocket. Spincraft contributed to the project by building unusually
light single-piece fuel tank domes and the copper thrust chamber liner for the
RS-68 engine, the largest liquid fuel engine developed in three decades. The
November 20 launch lifted a W5 communications satellite owned by Eutelsat S.A.
of France into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

For Spincraft, the triumph of this mission marks the beginning of a long-
term Boeing partnership, which ranks as the company’s largest contract win to
date. The pair will team up for another four launches in 2003. The contract
may extend for several decades.

“The success of the Delta IV truly marks a significant milestone in the
ongoing evolution of the launch vehicle industry,” said David Doucette, vice
president, sales and marketing for Spincraft. “This program showcases the
cooperation between Spincraft and the Boeing team. It is the openness of our
relationship that fostered the ingenuity to develop the largest single piece
fuel tank dome in the industry today. It is a terrific achievement and we are
pleased to be part of this exciting and historical program.”

Spincraft has a long heritage providing components for launch vehicles,
having worked on the Titan, X-33, X-34, Ariane 5 and the Delta III programs,
among others. For this latest Boeing contract, Spincraft engineered an
advanced 5-meter fuel tank dome solution for the Delta IV that was lower in
weight and cost, required less testing and was completed in under 18 months,
ultimately providing the Delta IV and other launch vehicles a greater chance
of mission success. The company performed the entire turnkey operation — from
spinning the aluminum to machining it to performing the heat/treat — at its
state-of-the-art facility in North Billerica, Mass.

Spincraft delivers integrated, single-source manufacturing solutions for
complex fabrications and assemblies of every scope, utilizing an ever-growing
compilation of forming and assembly processes. Clients include companies in
the aerospace, aviation, energy and healthcare industries, as well as the
Department of Defense. Production is performed at two state-of-the art
development and manufacturing facilities, located in North Billerica,
Massachusetts, and New Berlin, Wisconsin. For additional information, visit
Spincraft at http://www.spincraft.net .