The company is planning to invest in new manufacturing processes, high-precision machines, and innovative materials to increase engine safety, quality, and delivery.
CINCINNATI—In March, GE Aerospace reported that it plans to invest nearly $1 billion in its U.S. factories and supply chain to strengthen manufacturing and to increase the use of innovative new parts and materials needed for the future of flight.
The new investment, nearly double last year’s commitment, is expected to help increase engine safety, quality, and delivery and to benefit more than two dozen communities across 16 states, the company said in a release.
The company also announced it will hire “around 5,000 U.S. workers this year, including manufacturing and engineering roles.”
“Investing in manufacturing and innovation is more critical than ever for the future of our industry and the communities where we operate,” said GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., in a statement. “We are committed to helping our customers modernize and expand their fleets while scaling technologies that will truly define the future of flight. Together, this will keep the United States at the forefront of aerospace leadership.”
Engines made by GE Aerospace and its joint venture partners are reported to power three out of every four commercial flights around the world and two of three U.S. military combat and helicopter aircraft.
Following are examples of how the investments will be allocated, with the remaining funds set to be deployed based on need.
$500 million to expand capacity to strengthen quality and delivery
GE Aerospace is growing its capacity and expanding several key sites, especially those that support the production and assembly of the narrowbody CFM LEAP engine, where deliveries are expected to increase by 15 to 20 percent this year. The CFM LEAP engines are made by CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.
These investments, combined with GE Aerospace’s proprietary lean operating model, FLIGHT DECK, are reported to be improving safety, quality, delivery, and cycle times.
GE Aerospace’s investments are reported to include $113 million in Greater Cincinnati for facility upgrades and additional equipment for several sites in the area that produce, test, and assemble many of the company’s commercial and military engines; $70 million in Muskegon, Michigan, where the company is breaking ground on an expansion to produce parts for the hot section of the engine; $16 million in Durham, North Carolina, and $5 million in Lafayette, Indiana, for additional equipment to support the assembly of commercial engines, including LEAP.
The company is also planning to invest $13 million in West Jefferson, North Carolina, where it will expand its building to increase production of key parts of the engine. Some $200 million is targeted toward investing in military engine production: The company is investing in sites, including Lynn, Massachusetts, and Madisonville, Kentucky, to gear up for the new T901 Black Hawk and Apache helicopter engine and continue producing other military engines.
More than $100 million to scale innovative materials and parts
The company said its investments are also scaling the production of innovative parts made from new materials and advanced manufacturing processes that provide engines with more range, power, and efficiency.
This includes additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, which reduces part count, increasing fuel efficiency and durability while providing greater design freedom. It also includes ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). These materials are one-third the weight of traditional materials but can operate at up to 500 degrees hotter, enabling greater power and durability for engines.
Investments to further scale these technologies include $51 million in Auburn, Alabama, where the company will deploy additional 3D printers and upgrade existing equipment and tooling to increase capacity and ensure quality; $14 million in West Chester, Ohio, for an additional 3D printer, industrial furnace, and facility upgrades to increase capacity; and $22 million in Huntsville, Alabama, for additional machines to produce materials that are the building blocks for ceramic matrix composite engine parts.
GE Aerospace has earmarked $20 million for investment in its Asheville, North Carolina, site, where it will install additional equipment to produce ceramic matrix composite engine parts. It will also bring in new inspection equipment and advanced machines that can shape metal parts to precise specifications. The company also plans to invest $11 million in its Batesville, Mississippi operations to install an industrial oven, precision measuring tools, high-precision machines, and inspection technology to maintain quality.
More than $100 million for external supplier base
The almost $1 billion investment includes more than $100 million dedicated to the company’s external supplier base. By providing investments to ensure suppliers are using the newest tools to produce parts, the company is aiming to further reduce defects and supply chain constraints.