Tier 1 aerostructures supplier GKN Aerospace has strengthened its long-term partnership with GE Aerospace through an agreement which includes new technology insertion, fan case production and assembly, and repair of high-volume engine structures.
GKN, which already provides major components of key GE and CFM civil engines directly to the U.S. manufacturer or through its Safran partner or GE's Avio subsidiary, says the expanded agreement covers technology-insertion programs on the GEnx which will focus on alternative materials for upgraded components that will be developed, tested and introduced between 2024 and 2030.
Under the new agreement GKN will also now deliver 100% of GEnx, CF6 and GE90 fan cases, as well as 50% of GE9X fan case assembly for the duration of the program. GKN currently supplies GEnx, GE90, GE9X and CF6 components directly to GE Aerospace, as well as GE9X, GEnx and Leap 1 parts through Avio. For the CFM and GE range, GKN also supplies Safran with components for the Leap 1, CFM56, CF6 and GE90 engine families.
The enhanced partnership agreement also includes the addition of GKN Aerospace to GE Aerospace’s repair network. Under the new deal GKN says it will engage in “structural design-and-make of advanced fabrications to repair high volume, complex structures across its global repair network.” The company adds that the aftermarket services agreement will be worth around $5 billion over the approximately 30-year life of the GEnx.
In August, GE announced the GEnx engine family had surpassed the 50 million flight hour mark in less than 12 years, the fastest rate ever for a commercial widebody engine. The GEnx-1B, which competes with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 to power the Boeing 787, has accumulated around 32 million hours since entering service in 2012. The GEnx-2B – which powers the now out-of-production 747-8, has accumulated 18 million hours since entering service in 2011.
While GKN has yet to provide further details of the revised components it plans to develop for the GEnx upgrade, the agreement marks a further step in a growing partnership with GE in advanced technology. In 2022 GKN teamed with GE to collaborate in development and maturation of open fan architecture for CFM’s RISE technology demonstration program, which was launched in 2021.
GKN’s recent advanced materials work includes the development of a lightweight turbine-exhaust case made mostly using additive manufacturing. In 2022 the company delivered an experimental case to MTU in Germany for testing as part of the European Union-funded Clean Sky 2 EMVAL (engine material validation) research demonstrator program. The module, which was 20% lighter than conventional exhaust case designs, incorporated an inner load-carrying structure and heat-shielding aerodynamically shaped vanes.
In 2022 GKN also tested an advanced turbine rear structure (TRS) design which demonstrated a potential weight reduction of up to 14% compared to current commercial engine configurations. Like the EMVAL exhaust case, the TRS was also tested under Clean Sky 2.
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