A new milestone in operational excellence. Hutchinson’s plant of Château-Gontier has been awarded the prestigious Bronze AeroExcellence label. This recognition underscores Hutchinson’s unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and reliability: values that have defined the company’s legacy for over 170 years. From tailor-made sealing systems to precision sensing technologies, Hutchinson continues to deliver high-performance solutions that meet the most demanding challenges of the Aerospace, Space, and Defense industries.
By Estelle Derennes & Claudia Sureau – Aeronautics Sales Engineers at Hutchinson
Expertise and Operational Excellence
Hutchinson’s Château-Gontier facility, a key site specialized in the manufacturing of O-rings, X-Rings, and custom rubber seals, has achieved the AeroExcellence Bronze level, an industry-recognized mark of operational excellence in Aerospace, Space, and Defense.
Following its EN 9100 certification in 2021, the site passed the rigorous AeroExcellence assessment by GIFAS (the French Aerospace Industries Association) in April 2025. The evaluation covered all aspects of industrial performance, including leadership, resource and supplier management, logistics, industrialization, quality, and production efficiency.
More than a certification, AeroExcellence is a mark of trust, demonstrating that Hutchinson’s operations meet the highest aerospace standards, with a strong commitment to performance, environmental responsibility, and cybersecurity.
For over 170 years, Hutchinson has been a pioneer in the design and manufacture of sealing and sensing solutions. With deep expertise in engineering and materials science, Hutchinson delivers tailor-made, high-performance solutions through a collaborative, engineer-to-engineer approach that ensures reliability in the most demanding aerospace environments
High-Performance Sealing Solutions for Aerospace Challenges
Hutchinson designs and manufactures highly engineered sealing solutions with unique customization, built to spec, meeting the stringent demands of military, industrial, and commercial aircraft applications.
Thanks to its deep materials expertise, Hutchinson has developed a wide range of aerospace-approved compounds (CR, EPDM, FKM, FVMQ, NBR, VMQ) meeting worldwide standards and specifications (NFL, NAS, DIN…). R&D teams are continuously working to develop and certify new materials in response to market trends and customer needs. Currently, ongoing projects are focused on sustainability challenges: PFAS-free solutions, sustainable aviation fuel…
Hutchinson high-performance sealing solutions, including static (O-Rings, X-Rings, plate seals, bonded seals) and dynamic (shaft seals, membranes, inflatable seals) solutions ensure flawless operation of critical components such as turbine engines, hydraulic, fluid and fuel lines, braking and landing gear systems. With certifications like EN 9100/ AS 9100D, Hutchinson guarantees optimal quality ensuring safety, reliability, and longevity of aerospace components.
Precision and Reliability for Aerospace Measurement Solutions
Hutchinson magnetic sensor solutions provide high precision measurement of speed, angle or position, essential for applications requiring high levels of control. These solutions improve the accuracy of aerospace systems and enable more complex and precise tasks to be carried out. Featuring a metal insert and a rubber matrix loaded with magnetic particles, these solutions are suitable for high-speed and acceleration applications, ensuring optimum measurement accuracy even in the most extreme environments.
Hutchinson’s magnetic encoders offer several key benefits:
– precise measurement and data transmission,
– high level of precision for accurate position detection,
– robust performance in extreme conditions.
Hutchinson can customize the rings by creating bespoke magnetic patterns for absolute measurement systems. The mechanical configuration is adapted to the application, so Hutchinson can produce sectors, axial or radial rings.
Hutchinson’s commitment to innovation and quality ensures that solutions meet the stringent requirements of the aerospace industry, providing long-lasting performance and reliability and accompanying the evolution of the sector.
