GKN Aerospace continues to develop Additive Manufacturing technologies
GKN Aerospace is taking additive manufacturing to the next level. Utilizing techniques such as powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition, GKN aims to create more flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable production methods.With the aerospace industry on the threshold of a period of huge growth, the need to improve manufacturing methods and leverage the benefits of new composite materials and additive manufacture in aerospace, is more acute than ever.
With some two decades of experience to call upon, Andrew Portsmore, Technology Director - Metallics and Strategy, at GKN Aerospace, is convinced that the company’s long experience with additive manufacturing (AM) will play a key role in future airframe and engine structures, both at the company and in the industry at wide.
“The first component using AM techniques in the GKN portfolio was actually introduced on an aircraft in 2010, much earlier than most people realize. We later acquired the business that did that, Volvo Aerospace in Sweden. They had particularly strong expertise in laser welding, which seamlessly transitioned into additive manufacturing processes, even though it wasn’t initially labeled as such,” says Portsmore. “The focus was on building features onto larger components, using welding techniques, and eventually it evolved into what we now recognize as AM.”
GKN Aerospace has made several strategic acquisitions, including Permanova Lasersystem AB in Sweden, to enhance its AM capabilities. This helped GKN not only deepen its understanding of the equipment required for AM processes, but also to ensure the company can design for, and optimize, the material properties and manufacturing processes.
Beyond acquisitions, collaborations with government bodies, academic institutions, customers and suppliers have also been crucial, while investment in new manufacturing technology and global technology centers (GTCs) in the US, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands, emphasizes GKN’s commitment to research and development. This, according to Portsmore, has been pivotal in recruiting top talent and advancing GKN Aerospace’s technological capabilities.
“We try to collaborate with the best in the industry and get good relationships going, whether that’s with a customer or a supplier, where we can build win-win type relationships,” he says. “I think that has positioned us well, and, along with investment in R&D, it has really put us on the map.”
The H2GEAR project, developing hydrogen propulsion systems for aircraft, is a good example. “GKN is investing quite heavily in hydrogen systems. It underlines our commitment to advancing sustainable technologies while also strengthening supply chain capabilities. We’ve also joined the HyFive Consortium (developing liquid hydrogen fuel systems). So we’ve got various government-funded programs that show how prevalent GKN is in this area,” says Portsmore.
The company has developed expertise in multiple AM techniques, including powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition (DED) that involves the use of laser or electron beam melting to build up materials layer by layer.
“AM offers much more design flexibility and longevity for different design iterations, so I think the future is more likely to involve additive manufactured solutions,” says Portsmore.
“You don’t need huge amounts of capital infrastructure such as large presses, and you have design freedom that you don’t with forging. Furthermore you can achieve nearer-net preforms, which means that less machining is necessary than with a forging, leading to more sustainable production routes.”
With the pressure of high demand from the aerospace industry, possible solutions are being continually looked at, Portsmore adds.
Recent global events, combined with an increase in composite materials in aerospace, highlight the importance of having multiple sources for critical materials and components, and experience and expertise in tooling and machining. Additive manufacturing of aerospace parts offers a way to create components with complex designs, reduce material waste and allow for the creation of intricate internal features within parts. The subsequent enhancement in efficiency and performance bodes well for the future.
Complex aerospace supply chains will become more agile, cost-effective and sustainable, making AM more widespread among OEMs in the aerospace sector. GKN’s early adoption and ongoing cutting-edge expertise with it puts the company in a healthy position looking ahead, Andrew Portsmore concludes.
“Having worked in aerospace for some 20 years and seen where the challenges are, I’m sure there will be more additive components in the next generation of aircraft than in the current one. All over, it’s a positive story, not just for us, but for the UK industry as a whole.”
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