Rolls-Royce opens new machining center adjacent to Mississippi metalcasting facility.

Rolls-Royce Naval Marine Inc., Derby, England, opened a new machining center in February at its Propeller Center of Excellence in Pascagoula, Miss. The new facility will improve manufacturing capabilities and production efficiency across a wide range of marine propellers and propulsors.

The 18,000-sq.-ft. facility, adjacent to its on-site metalcasting plant, includes 15,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and houses a new gantry milling machine, which will allow machining to be three times faster than the current rate. This will augment the metalcasting facility's design and custom build capabilities, and increase capacity for propellers ranging in size from 60 in. (152 cm) to 33 ft. (10.05 m).

Rolls-Royce has invested more than $8 million in the local industrial base developing the facility.

The plant manufactures propellers for U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carriers and various commercial vessels. It also casts propeller blades for U.S. Navy Destroyers and U.S. Navy Amphibious Transport Dock class ships. The machine center is positioned to manufacture components for the large waterjets used on the Littoral Combat Ship.

"This new facility demonstrates our commitment to product quality and process improvement," said Patrick J. Marolda, president of the Rolls-Royce naval marine business in North America. "We want to provide better products faster to our customers and are dedicated to maintaining our market leadership in quality and delivery."