Pratt & Whitney expands Connecticut engine center to meet increased demand

Pratt & Whitney officially unveiled its new state-of-the-art Middletown, Connecticut, production facility to support production of the PurePower PW1100G-JM engine for the Airbus A320neo and the F135 engine for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter in a ceremony held on February 25th. The transformation of the facility is the product of significant capital investments to install new assembly lines, test cells and advanced technologies to prepare the site to help deliver new and legacy engines to meet customer demand for these products. At the event, Pratt & Whitney introduced its new horizontal engine assembly moving line, which will be used to produce the PurePower PW1100G-JM engine. This innovative technique will allow the company to accommodate increased volumes. Once assembled, those engines will be tested at the Middletown site, in some of the most advanced test cells in the world. Advanced technological and structural improvements in the test cells will reduce the time it takes to set up and complete testing on an engine, and will enable a safer and more efficient testing process during engine product tests. The company also highlighted investments in its F135 production line that will further streamline the production flow. These include tooling improvements that will allow the company to efficiently assemble a high volume of F135 engines while maintaining the highest standards of safety and ergonomics.