GKN Aerospace displays design and process innovations at Farnborough International 2014

Advanced airframe and engine structures feature in the display

GKN Aerospace will present the highlights of its work across metal and composite aerostructures and engine systems, transparencies and special products in the company?s new purpose-built facility at Farnborough International this year.

Among the items on display will be: the state of the art turbine rear frame for the GEnx engine; a section of the all-composite rear wing spar for the A350 XWB; the recently completed STeM advanced winglet demonstrator; the elegant cockpit canopy for the F-35 Lightning II and the large, ultra high performance passenger cabin window on the Boeing 787; examples of additive manufactured structures and titanium engine components; new optical ice detection sensors alongside established electro-thermal ice protection technology.

Engineers from GKN Aerospace will also be discussing developments in a series of open lectures in the Innovation Zone* each day. Topics will be as follows:

Monday:
- Additive manufacture -
- Process optimisation and qualification - its role in design
Tuesday:
- Technology and innovation for the future of composites manufacture
Wednesday:
- Fan and turbine engine structures - Enabling today?s and tomorrow?s propulsion
Thursday:
- Technology - leading the way toward more efficient aircraft

Today GKN Aerospace?s annual sales top USD3.5 billion. The company operates from 32 manufacturing sites across 9 countries, employs 11,700 people and is a market leader in aerostructures, engine structures, transparencies and fuel systems.

In the past 12 months GKN Aerospace has:
- Gained new business worth well over USD1bn.
- Continued the integration of its market-leading engine systems business, which now represents 50% of the business
- Opened a new advanced engineering centre in India
- Opened four new additive manufacturing technology centres in Europe and the USA
- Opened a new assembly facility in Phoenix, Arizona alongside Honeywell?s manufacturing operation
- Grown recently opened manufacturing plants in South Carolina, Mexico and Alabama.

Marcus Bryson, CEO, GKN Aerospace and Land Systems states: ?Our new display at Farnborough International is a tangible and powerful demonstration of our world class engineering, impressive range of differentiating technologies and proven ability to effectively insert cutting edge technology into real airframe programmes. This drives both our own growth and the success of our customers? airframes and aero-engines. We look forward to showing you around the display in the new pavilion.?

Editor?s Notes:
*Innovation Zone - For a full programme of presentations go to the Farnborough show website - www.farnborough.com
GKN plc is a global engineering group. It has four divisions; GKN Aerospace, GKN Driveline, GKN Powder Metallurgy and GKN Land Systems, which operate in the aerospace, automotive and land systems markets. Nearly 50,000 people work in GKN companies and joint ventures in more than 30 countries. GKN is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN) and recorded sales of GBP7.5 billion in the year to 31 December 2013.

GKN Aerospace is a global first tier supplier of airframe structures, engine components, transparencies and fuel/flotation systems, with sales of GBP2.2bn in 2013 and a global workforce approaching 12,000. It has a significant participation on all major aircraft programmes today and a broad customer base spanning commercial, military, business aerospace and space markets. The company?s extensive engineering capability and clear focus on targeted innovation has created technological and manufacturing leads in each of its areas of expertise.