From Southern Poland to the Skies Worldwide
For 25 years, Safran Transmission Systems Poland has been manufacturing high-precision components for the aerospace industry using grinding technology from KAPP NILES. Together, the partners have overcome growth, technological changes and extraordinary challenges.
Technologically advanced components for aircraft engines are the core competence of Safran Transmission Systems Poland. At its facility in Sędziszów Małopolski, the company’s employees manufacture and assemble, among other products, accessory gearboxes for the Boeing 737 and A320neo aircraft. For the finishing of gears, the company has relied on profile and generating gear grinding machines from KAPP NILES from the very beginning.
Shortly after the turn of the millennium, the French Safran Group established a production site in southern Poland – a region that is now well known for its strong aerospace industry. The Aviation Valley Association, of which Safran is a member, brings together 219 companies and research institutions employing over 35,000 people. Its goal is to transform southeastern Poland into one of Europe’s leading aerospace regions in the long term.
When the Safran plant in Poland was set up in 2001, the French parent company already had several KAPP NILES grinding machines in operation. One of them formed the basis of production at the new site. “We started our production on a VIG, later we continued with several VUS machines and at the moment we’re updating our production with modern VX machines”, tells Janusz Dziubek, Production Director at Safran. All of these machines belong to today’s VX series, which is ideally suited for the finishing of gears for the aerospace industry and its particularly demanding accuracy requirements.
Highly versatile
“The VX 55 is easy to set-up, offers many options for grinding and delivers really good quality, repeatability and accuracy”, emphasises Machine Operator Krzysztof Piątek. “It’s our most universal machine. We can use it for small parts like shafts just as well as for large ones and also for internal grinding. Additionally, we can use dressable and non-dressable grinding tools on those machines, which gives us plenty of options for grinding gears.”
The VX machines supplied to Safran were also equipped with a spindle that KAPP NILES developed as a special solution for the aerospace industry. “Some small components cannot be machined using a standard spindle due to collision constraints,” explains Area Sales Manager Arnt Lachetta. “Our special spindle with an X-offset makes it possible to grind gears even when only very limited space is available. Our CBN wheels can be mounted securely and stably on these spindles, ensuring the consistently excellent grinding quality we are known for, despite the smallest diameters. At the same time, speeds of over 30,000 revolutions per minute can be achieved.”
Grinding spare parts in-house
Safran also operates several KX 300 P gear centres. These machines are not only used for the finishing of external gears. “Sometimes we need to prepare some spare parts or some new implementations. That’s when we use the KX machines to roughly grind the solid blocks, before we do our special heat treatment”, explains Maintenance Manager Michał Basara. “Also, if we have a failure on a machine, our experienced operators can use our KX machines to grind unique parts with whom we can repair other critical machines in the facility.”
“Whether it’s the VX or the KX: One is as important as the other for us. Our load on each machine is very high – over 90 %”, points out Basara. The various gears ground on these machines are then used to manufacture components for aircraft engines. “For example, if you fly with a Boeing 737 which was produced between 2010 and now, there is a 90 % chance that you fly with a gearbox made by Safran in Poland.”
Mounted externally to the engine, the accessory gearbox transmits power to numerous critical subsystems and accessories, including oil pumps, hydraulic pumps, fuel pumps, and electrical generators, thereby supporting the proper operation of both the aircraft and its engines, classifying it as absolutely flight safety-critical.
The flood of 2010
The summer of 2010 marked a turning point for the Safran plant in Poland. A small river runs close to the company’s premises and, following a severe thunderstorm, overflowed its banks within a very short period of time. “The water on our premises rose to a height of one metre so quickly that there was nothing we could do,” recalls Janusz Dziubek. „Within an hour, all our machines were under water. After the water receded, we discovered that all was covered in mud and that it was impossible to go back to production.”
Andrzej Czarkowski of AllCo, KAPP NILES’ representative in Poland, travelled directly to Sędziszów Małopolski to assess the situation on site. “The sight was shocking,” recalls Czarkowski. “When I arrived, the Safran team was already working to remove the mud from the production halls and was also trying to clean the machines. But the dirt had spread into every crevice, and the control systems had been affected as well. It was clear, that it will be a very difficult restauration.”
At that time, three KAPP NILES machines were in operation at Safran: one VIG, one VUS and one KX. “Shortly after the flood, we decided to replace the VIG, which has been in our factory since production day 1, with a new VUS. And to send the existing VUS and KX to Coburg for refurbishment”, tells Janusz Dziubek. “This was completed in really short time. Around three months after the flood we could already reinstall them in our plant. The quick reaction from KAPP NILES and Mister Czarkowski was very helpful and exactly what we needed from our partner during this time.”
Long-standing partnership
“Until today we can only speak with good words about the service quality. During all these 25 years, we always had good contact with KAPP NILES and Mister Czarkowski”, notes Janusz Dziubek. “If we have a problem or a question, we always receive the information we need. Also, if it has nothing to do with one of our machines itself, but with something linked with the process. KAPP NILES is always open to find a person who can support us and advise us in which direction we should go to analyse the problem.”
Arnt Lachetta confirms the excellent collaboration. “We are proud that Safran relies exclusively on KAPP NILES machines for gear grinding,” he emphasises. “We look forward to continuing this success story with Safran in the future.”
In 2025 and 2026, Safran added three VX 55 machines to its production line. “And when we look to the future, we also plan to increase the number of KAPP NILES machines”, says Dziubek. “We know the technology. We have the specialists who do a very good job on these machines. We know the service quality. All in all, we feel satisfied to have such a good collaboration and we will surely continue our story with KAPP NILES in the future.”
Company profiles
About KAPP NILES
KAPP NILES is a globally operating group of companies with high-quality and economical solutions for finishing gears and profiles and is partner for companies from numerous industrial sectors in the mobility, automation and energy segments.
The perfect interaction between machine, tool, technology and metrology enables extremely precise machining to a thousandth millimetre.
About Safran Transmission Systems Poland
Safran Transmission Systems Poland is a modern manufacturing facility located in Sędziszów Małopolski and part of the international Safran Group – one of the world’s leading companies in the aerospace, defense, and space industries. Operating in Poland since 2001, the company employs more than 850 people at its facility in Sędziszów Małopolski.
The company specializes in the production and assembly of advanced high‑tech components and transmission systems for aircraft engines, including complete gearboxes for Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Its products are used in major global aviation programs such as the CFM, LEAP and GEnx engine families.
Safran Transmission Systems Poland plays a key role in the Aviation Valley – one of Europe’s most important aerospace clusters. The company continuously develops its capabilities by investing in new technologies, expanding production, and strengthening its research and development activities.
The organization provides a work environment based on high standards of quality, safety, and collaboration, offering employees opportunities for professional growth within a global aerospace leader.