GKN Aerospace has secured an agreement with Pratt & Whitney (P&W), an RTX business, to add low-pressure compressor (LPC) vanes for the PW1500G and PW1900G GTF™ engines to their existing risk and revenue sharing programme (RRSP).
The contract covers a majority share of production volumes for the main LPC vanes used in engines powering the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-Jet E2 families. GKN Aerospace will support the components throughout the engines’ operational lifecycle, expected to span several decades.
“This is a significant milestone for GKN Aerospace and a strong endorsement of our capabilities in blades and vanes,” said Joakim Andersson, President Engines at GKN Aerospace. “Securing a majority share of LPC vane production on the PW1500G and PW1900G programmes strengthens our collaboration with Pratt & Whitney, provides long-term stability for our Newington facility and positions us for future growth on next-generation engine platforms.”
GKN Aerospace began producing the components in 2018 with a smaller production share. Since then, the programme has expanded, with manufacturing further industrialised at the company’s Newington facility.
The LPC vanes are manufactured using a highly automated robotic milling process. GKN Aerospace said the introduction of in-house super-polishing has reduced lead times, improved yield and strengthened manufacturing performance.
The agreement further expands the company’s global blades and vanes capability while reinforcing Newington’s role as a centre of excellence for metallic aero-engine components.
Production is now entering its next phase, with full-rate manufacturing targeted by the third quarter of this year.
