Leading MRO service provider SR Technics and Safran Test Cells, an offshoot of Safran Aero Boosters, have commenced construction of a second test cell to increase test capabilities at Zurich Airport in Switzerland.
This follows on from the 2022 contract signed with IAE to become a member of the global MRO network that maintains the new Pratt & Whitney turbofan engine PW1100G-JM “GTF”. Alongside Safran Test Cells, Flughafen Zurich AG, and local architects and engineers, SR Technics is aiming to revitalise and redesign its second test cell to meet aerodynamic and acoustic requirements for the testing of the new engine types: PW1100G-JM, LEAP-1A & -1B as well as CFM56-5B & -7B.
“Test Cell 2” will be enlarged to a seven-by-eight- meter cross-section and will include state-of-the-art data acquisition and instrumentation systems, with a testing capacity for over 200 engines per annum. Additionally, SR Technics and Safran Test Cells have focused on environmental compatibility and sustainability when designing Test Cell 2, introducing fit-for-purpose equipment for the lowest energy consumption and innovative technology, such as thermal waste heat recovery. Entry into service is planned for mid-2024.
After this ground-breaking ceremony, local contractors will partially demolish and rebuild Test Cell 2 over the next few months as planned. Safran Test Cells will simultaneously provide and install all the necessary aero-acoustic elements and systems for testing the respective engines.
Jean-Marc Lenz, Chief Executive Officer at SR Technics stated: “The ground-breaking is the first milestone of the growth path of SR Technics. Our goal is to double our business in the next five years. We are building infrastructure in Zurich, opening new production facilities and increasing our workforce with around 500 people within the next few years to extend our capabilities for the maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the GTF and LEAP engines.”
