GKN Aerospace & Pratt & Whitney to Use Additive for the F135 Engine

GKN Aerospace and RTX unit Pratt & Whitney will collaborate on additive manufacturing for the F135 engine. This is an important engine. The turbofan powers the F-35 Lightning II, but has been beset by quality issues. Cracked blades, incorrect titanium, micro cracking, fires, and slow production have plagued the program. So GKN and Pratt can really make waves if they use additive to scale and perfect future programs.

GKN Aerospace in Norway and Pratt & Whitney have now signed a Technology Development Agreement. Together, they want to look at making an Additive Manufacturing demonstrator, and deliver certified parts in 2028. The two would work together with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) on the project. This could really see the Norwegians increase their AM capacity and knowle