GE Aviation investing $27m to expand advanced technology efforts in Delaware

GE Aviation plans to invest $27m and add up to 70 jobs over the next five years at its Newark, Delaware facility. The facility, which currently employs 80, manufactures advanced aircraft engine components made of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). The planned investment will allow GE to develop a ‘Lean Lab’ at its Newark operation. Lean Labs have become a staple of GE manufacturing, allowing for collaboration between engineering and manufacturing. The teams work together to demonstrate a component’s manufacturing readiness before needing to scale for full rate production. Production technologies for CMC components will be developed and proven out in Newark prior to transitioning to manufacturing facilities for mass production. Demand for CMC components in jet engines is expected to grow tenfold over the next decade.