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At its facility in Trollhättan, Sweden, the UK-headquartered company will utilize directed energy deposition (DED) additive repair techniques to repair engines.
FARNBOROUGH, England—GKN Aerospace has secured several agreements with Pratt & Whitney relating to component repairs for the geared turbofan (GTF) engine program.
Spanning the next 5-10 years, the agreements cover more than 20 different component types across its three MRO sites, including critical engine cases, structures and rotating parts across the PW1500G and PW1900G variants. The PW1500G powers the Airbus A220, while the PW1900G is the sole option for the Embraer E-Jet family.
At its facility in Trollhattan, Sweden, the UK-headquartered company will utilize Directed Energy Deposition (DED) additive repair techniques to repair the PW1500G and PW1900G exit guide vane stators, stationary aerodynamic stators located directly behind the engine’s fan or turbine stage. GKN Aerospace said the DED technology supports the repair of highly engineered components by depositing material to replace worn features on an engine. GKN said this was previously unfixable through older methods.
“By deploying advanced technologies like [DED] in Sweden and expanding our composite and coating capabilities in Malaysia and San Diego, we are not only strengthening our position in next-generation repair solutions but also ensuring we deliver localized, innovative support to the global GTF customer base right where they need it,” said Gerald Coste, senior vice president of Repair Solutions at GKN Aerospace.
At its Malaysian site located in Johor, which was inaugurated in 2022, GKN will support stator and stator assembly component repairs. In addition, the company will begin repairing composite fan blades for the GTF. Previously, it focused on servicing low-pressure compressor components for CFM56-5B, CFM56-7 and V2500 engines.
Meanwhile, at its recently expanded MRO site in San Diego, GKN will roll out thermal coating technologies alongside new shot peening methods that utilize advanced ultrasonic technology for the GTF.
At the end of 2024, GKN opened the $55 million, 150,000-ft.2 engine component repair facility in California, doubling its regional repair capacity. The facility supports both mature programs as well as newer engines, including the GTF and LEAP engines.
The latest agreements further build capability in the U.S. for GKN. In April, the company signed a five-year agreement with Rolls-Royce to perform fan blade, fan disc and annulus filler repairs in San Diego for RB211-535/535E4, Trent 800/800EP and Trent 700 engines.
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