GKN Aerospace opens new US business jet engine integration facility

GKN Aerospace is to open a new 24,000 square foot facility where it will consolidate the company's integration activity for Honeywell's HTF7000 series of business jet engines.

The new facility will sit alongside the Honeywell operation in Phoenix, AZ and will pod Honeywell's engines into GKN Aerospace designed and manufactured nacelles for HTF7000 powered aircraft - including Bombardier, Gulfstream and Embraer business jets. GKN Aerospace will then deliver the complete propulsion system, on Honeywell's behalf, directly to the appropriate airframe end customer assembly line.

The Arizona site will commence operation in the autumn of 2013, becoming fully functional by the end of the year when it is expected to employ up to 50 people, handling the podding of engines for the Bombardier CL300 and CL350, the Gulfstream G280 and the Embraer 450/500 business jets. At capacity, the site will be capable of assembling 28 complete power systems per month.

Phil Swash, CEO, GKN Aerospace - Europe and Special Products explains: "We have worked closely with Honeywell since the commencement of their highly successful HTF7000 engine programme in the late 1990s - with our engineering team designing the nacelle to be uniquely adaptable and multi-application. These engines have now been selected to power several different aircraft and so the time is right to establish a more geographically and logistically efficient location for the integration process. Our new operation will allow us to cut transport costs, reduce cycle times and extend the flexibility of the service we offer Honeywell and their aircraft prime customers."

GKN Aerospace has been delivering nacelles for the HTF7000 series of engines for well over a decade and in 2008 gained a lifetime supply contract which included responsibility for the full nacelle/engine integration process. Since then all work has been undertaken at the manufacturing site for the nacelle, either in St Louis, Missouri or Cowes in the UK.

GKN Aerospace is among the leading suppliers of nacelle systems internationally and is one of the leading three suppliers of engine products to the aerospace market worldwide. With market leading design and manufacturing expertise across both metallic and composite materials, the company brings a unique breadth of skills and experience to customer programmes.