Aerometals, a California-based aerospace parts manufacturer, has announced a developmental program to certify an engine inlet barrier filter (IBF) system on the Bell 412EP helicopter.

“[We] want to bring the same engine protection to the Bell 412 that we’ve been able to bring to the H60 and S70 aircraft,” said Aerometals president and CEO Lorie Symon. Aerometals says it is collaborating with Bell Textron on the development project.

“Bell wants to ensure that our operators have a solution to protect their engines from foreign object damage, erosion, engine degradation, and ultimately extend engine life while lowering the cost of ownership,” said Jennifer Lunsford, Bell’s director of aftermarket sales. 

According to Aerometals, Bell 412EP operators who install the new IBF system will see “a significant reduction in premature removal and potentially reduced overhaul costs.” 

Aerometals, which is exhibiting at Heli-Expo in Atlanta this week (Booth B6320), is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. “For a small business, we’ve grown a lot,” Symon told reporters during a briefing at Heli-Expo. “We started out in 1983 with six people and we are now, in 2023, 167 people with 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space.” 

Along with IBF systems, Aerometals provides a wide array of parts for both commercial and military aircraft. The company also supplies aftermarket replacement parts, to which the industry refers as parts manufacturer approval sales.