GE Aerospace
GE Aerospace is to invest 650 million USD into its manufacturing facilities and supply chain this year, with more than 150 million USD to be allocated to facilities running additive manufacturing equipment.
The investment comes as GE Aerospace seeks to increase production and strengthen the quality of support it provides to commercial and defence customers.
Of the 650 million USD, nearly 450 million will go toward new machines, inspection equipment, building upgrades, new test cells and safety enhancements at 22 GE Aerospace facilities across 14 states. An additional 100 million USD will go to US-based supplier partners, with 100 million USD also being injected into international sites in North America, Europe and India.
GE Aerospace has so far revealed that 107 million USD will be spent in the greater Cincinnati region where the company’s Additive Technology Center is. Here, GE Aerospace will add new additive manufacturing machines, tooling and equipment, as well as upgraded test cells to allow the company to increase the production capacity of engines used in commercial aircraft and in military helicopter and fighter jets. Around 54 million USD, meanwhile, will be invested into its Auburn, Alabama site for additional additive manufacturing machines and tooling. This investment is focused specifically at increasing production of military rotorcraft engine components, along with narrow and widebody commercial aircraft engines. “Additive manufacturing,” the company says, “is a critical technology that allows for greater performance and fuel efficiency while reducing weight and part count.”
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Other investments being made by GE Aerospace include 30 million USD in its Lynn, Massachusetts site for engine assembly and testing – again to support US and allied military air vehicles – 46 million USD in its four North Carolina facilities – this to provide further support to the production of parts and assembly of engines for narrowbody and widebody commercial engines.
“As GE Aerospace prepares to become a standalone company this spring, we are making significant investments in the future of flight and in the dozens of communities and supplier partners helping us build it,” commented H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and CEO of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. “These investments are part of the next chapter for GE Aerospace, supporting cutting-edge equipment and safety enhancements that will help us meet our customers growing needs.”
“This is an investment in the future of manufacturing, ensuring we can continue producing high-quality, cutting-edge engines and services while meeting customer demand,” added Mike Kauffman, GE Aerospace Supply Chain Vice President.
The investments in GE Aerospace factories will be supplemented by hiring more than 1,000 employees for open external positions at its US factories.
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