Source: Lufthansa Technik, HAM TS/M Source: Lufthansa Technik, HAM TS/M Close

In the last 25 years, the company has developed a leadership position as a Center of Excellence for the repair of high pressure turbine shrouds and high and low pressure turbine nozzles with a focus on CFM56 series, GE CF6-80 and CF34 engines. The fully-owned Lufthansa Technik subsidiary offers its services to a large customer base, including leading manufacturers, engine shops and part traders.

With great team spirit in a lean production environment, collaborative OEM relationships and ongoing investment in equipment, training and product development, Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon will further strengthen its position as a Center of Excellence for engine parts repair. The company is also engaged in a number of joint repair development projects with leading manufacturers.

The Irish company was initially founded as Shannon Turbine Technologies. The 8,000-square-meter purpose-built facility was constructed on a green field to provide engine parts repair, licensed by the OEMs General Electric and CFMI International. It was acquired by Lufthansa Technik Group in 1996. Renamed Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon, the company has grown significantly with over 200 employees, successfully overhauling thousands of GE and CFMI engine parts along the way.

Source: Pratt & Whitney Source: Pratt & Whitney Close

"Preliminary data from the test indicates our three-stream fan has met or exceeded expectations with respect to performance as well as the integrity of the turbofan machinery and fan module," said Matthew Bromberg, president, Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. "This is an important milestone on the path toward the advancement and maturation of a next generation adaptive engine which will enable the warfighter to stay well ahead of future and emerging threats."

Modern military turbofan engines have two airstreams - one that passes through the core of the engine, and another that bypasses the core. The development of a third stream provides an extra source of air flow to improve propulsive efficiency and lower fuel burn, or to deliver additional air flow through the core for higher thrust and cooling air. Utilizing a third stream of air that can be modulated to adapt the engine's performance across the flight envelope means a fighter can have the best of both worlds by accessing an on-demand increase in thrust or smoothly shift to highly efficient operations during cruise. This capability provides an optimal balance for combat scenarios requiring both high-end acceleration and increased range.

The adaptive three-stream fan technology leverages and improves upon Pratt & Whitney's experience as the only provider of fifth generation fighter engines - the F119 and F135, which power the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, respectively.

While Pratt & Whitney is demonstrating the efficacy of a three-stream architecture under AETD, it is also maturing other advanced propulsion technologies considered essential for high-speed and long-endurance performance requirements. This includes adaptive control systems as well as improved integrated power and thermal management capacity which can enable more sensors, data fusion, electronic warfare, and directed energy. The goal of the AETD program is to provide a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption and a 10 percent improvement in thrust levels compared to today's fifth-generation combat aircraft engines.

"From the development of the very first adaptive engine, the J58, which powered the iconic SR-71 Blackbird, to today's F135 STOVL variant, our decades of experience with adaptive engine technology are unmatched," said Bromberg. "We look forward to continuing work with our Air Force customer to advance the next generation of military fighter engine technology under the final phase of AETD, and beyond through the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP)."

The AETD fan test was conducted at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, located on Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tenn. Later this year, Pratt & Whitney plans to conduct additional adaptive engine testing on a new high efficiency engine core developed under the AETD program.

Pratt & Whitney GTF Source: Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney GTF Source: Pratt & Whitney Close

"Pratt & Whitney's $97 million investment in the production of fan blades for the PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine at our AutoAir facility is part of our more than $1.3 billion investment in 21st century manufacturing technology to transform our footprint worldwide," according to Shane Eddy, vice president, operations, at Pratt & Whitney. "This expansion is part of our strategy to handle delivery demands on our backlog of more than 8,000 firm and option engines on order."

The new 93,000 square-foot facility adds to an already existing GTF fan blade production line in Lansing and is one of 30 dedicated manufacturing, production or assembly locations across the globe performing work on various parts and components of the GTF engine program.

In addition to GTF fan blade production, the Pratt & Whitney AutoAir facility is a center of excellence for test nacelle composite repairs. It has a long history of providing reliable overhaul and repair services for a broad range of composite parts and has earned quality and environmental stewardship awards. With its new capacity coming online, the company is on track to meet its commitments to deliver 350 to 400 GTF engines this year.

In addition to the manufacturing expansion, Pratt & Whitney has four maintenance and repair operations (MRO) facilities to repair and overhaul GTF engines, and additional facilities will be added moving forward.

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