Bearing Inspection Signs Five-year Delta Contract

Bearing Inspection Inc. (BII, USA) has been given a five-year contract extension by Delta Air Lines, via Delta's TechOps operation. BII inspects and reconditions engine and accessory bearings for the airline and for TechOps, a Delta division which provides outsourced maintenance services to other airlines. Founded in 1955, BII operates from an 80,000 square foot shop in Los Alamitos, California. An FAA-licensed bearing repair facility since 1960, it now employs 31 inspectors and an 11-person engineering team. BII also holds type approvals from General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce. David Heminger, President and CEO of BII, said, "This is an extremely significant event for BII. Delta is a truly remarkable business partner and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to extend our 30 years of collaboration. Delta TechOps is aggressive and highly successful at growing their engine overhaul business base, and we are proud to be part of that effort." In addition to aviation, BII has expanded its markets in recent years to include aeroderivative products -- where gas turbine engines have been adapted for use in nonaircraft applications. Examples include electricity generation, industrial fluid pumps, marine propulsion units, and steam and electric cogeneration. Reconditioning the bearings in these applications can save up to 60% over buying new, according to BII. Steps in reconditioning are: disassembly, cleaning and polishing, restoring the raceways, inspection, measurement, then reassembly with appropriately oversized balls and rollers. Bearing manufacturers also recondition aerospace bearings. Timken, for example, reconditions bearings for Sikorsky Aircraft helicopters.