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GE Aerospace is investing $33 million in its Greenville, South Carolina, turbine blade production facility—about half of it dedicated to newer manufacturing technologies on CFM56 high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades.
The investment, part of a broader $1 billion commitment across several GE U.S. sites, will upgrade the production line that makes blades for the CFM56 Performance Improvement Program (PIP) configuration variants. Specific changes will focus on advanced grinding, laser drilling, and other machining improvements.
The technologies match those used on Leap engine blade production done in the same facility. They will also help GE meet continued strong demand for PIP blades.
CFM56 shop visit demand remains strong amid steady passenger demand and ramifications of new-aircraft delivery delays. GE and Safran, its CFM joint-venture partner, recently upped their near-term estimates for annual shop visits through 2028.
The scenario means material availability is usually the pacing factor in shop turnaround time, with turbine blades near the top of the list. CFM has emphasized ensuring production of both its Tech Insertion and PIP-configuration blades supports the demand. Greenville is the sole CFM56 HPT blade manufacturing facility.
GE’s $1 billion investment will also support Leap-family aftermarket needs. Some $200 million is going toward boosting manufacturing for Leap HPT durability kits—made up of the HPT stage 1 blade, HPT stage 1 nozzle, and forward inner nozzle support—and reverse bleed systems (RBS) that target nagging issues cutting into expected on-wing time on the newest CFM engines.
Durability kits and RBSs for Leap-1As found on some Airbus A320neo-family aircraft are approved and in production. Similar products for the 737 MAX Leap-1B engine are expected to be introduced this year.
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