GE highlights collaboration with UK’s National Composites Centre

The wide range of manufacturing processes being developed by GE in collaboration with the UK’s National Composites Centre were displayed during a ceremony marking the facility’s recent expansion to double its size. Included in GE’s displays at the Centre’s latest opening event on October 30th were techniques to produce advanced propeller blades for a new generation of quieter and more efficient regional airliners, the use of automated fibre placement in manufacturing complex aircraft wing panels, along with composite and metallic reinforcing layer technologies for large-diameter flexible pipes in ultra-deep water applications. “Together with the National Composites Centre, GE is exploring innovative manufacturing techniques that will open the horizons for composites in a diverse range of products,” said Steve Walters, the General Manager for GE Aviation Mechanical Systems. “As a tier 1 member, we value the Centre’s resources and its flexible, collaborative nature.” The National Composites Centre provides a high-quality environment to evolve cutting-edge composite technologies into manufacturing processes, with the aim of delivering innovative composite solutions to UK industry. Located at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, it is one of seven research and technology centres that form the country’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult network. Building on the National Composites Centre’s success through the joint work with industry, academia, and government based on an original £25 million public investment, a further £28m was announced last December for the doubling of its size – with this building expansion now complete.