Expansion of GKN Aerospace's U.S. facility for manufacturing additive engine components
GKN Aerospace, a leading aerospace engineering company, is making significant strides in the US with the expansion of its Newington facility in Connecticut. This expansion is aimed at establishing a new production line for the additive fabrication of the Fan Case Mount Ring (FCMR), a crucial component of the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine.
The core structure of the FCMR, the additively fabricated 'hot size ring', is already being delivered from GKN Aerospace's Trollhättan facility in Sweden. The expansion in Connecticut will support the full volume of FCMR production in one place, a statement made by GKN Aerospace's SVP for material solutions, Sébastien Aknouche.
The expansion will also create new jobs and strengthen GKN Aerospace's presence in the US. GKN Aerospace employs over 450 people across the state, with two facilities in Newington and Cromwell.
The proprietary additive fabrication process used by GKN Aerospace reduces material consumption, shortens production lead times, and is projected to achieve over 70% material savings. This innovative process is part of a project to revolutionize aerospace engineering technology manufacturing, which also involves the use of AI and additive manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of RTX, has secured an $18m contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to sustain TF33 engines. This contract underscores the importance of GKN Aerospace's FCMR in the aerospace engineering industry.
Elsewhere in the industry, the UK government has funded a project led by Honeywell to revolutionize aerospace engineering technology manufacturing using AI and additive manufacturing. The UK defence sector could potentially save £110m by adopting transformative manufacturing capabilities, according to an industry leader.
Brookhouse Aerospace and Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform have also made investments to extend their engineering capabilities. Brookhouse Aerospace has invested over £500,000 in additional machinery, while Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform has been adopted by NCC and extended to other innovation centres within the UK High Value Manufacturing Catapult network.
Lockheed Martin is also making strides in the aerospace engineering industry, announcing plans to upgrade the Republic of Korea Air Force's F-16 Block 52 flight simulators to mirror the advanced capabilities of its modernised F-16 Viper (F-16V) aircraft.
The expansion of GKN Aerospace's technology to the US is a significant step forward for the company and its Fan Case Mount Ring programme. GKN Aerospace's president, Joakim Andersson, stated that the expansion marks a major milestone for the company. The FCMR programme is the largest flight-critical additive component to achieve FAA certification and is on track for 100% serial production by the end of 2025. This expansion will help meet wider market demand for the FCMR and strengthen global supply chains.
