Pratt & Whitney announces Florida technology accelerator

RTX business Pratt & Whitney announced details of its North American Technology Accelerator (NATA), a commercial and military aftermarket operations center of excellence in Florida. The NATA will have dedicated floor space, equipment, and resources for the development and industrialization of technology insertion programs to support the company’s global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) network.

The Florida accelerator projects are primarily focused on material restoration and process automation including advanced repairs, digital inspection, adaptive processing, and coating, plus masking for compressor and fan parts, blades, and cases. A key project is additive repairs for critical GTF engine components.

The goal of these technologies is to reduce cost, material demand, and environmental impact, while decreasing turn times and improving throughput.

“NATA combines data science with people know-how and state-of-the-art automation to help address customer pain points such as inventory management and part availability, while accelerating our improved repair capabilities and efficiency to better serve our customers,” says Kevin Kirkpatrick, vice president, Aftermarket Global Operations at Pratt & Whitney. https://www.prattwhitney.com; https://www.rtx.com

GKN Aerospace expands LEAP engine support

Strengthening its 35-year partnership with engine-maker Safran, GKN Aerospace obtained a decade-long agreement to expand its support for LEAP engines. The contract covers new shafts and spare part production for the LEAP 1A variant for the Airbus A320neo aircraft, with the expectation for future production of similar components for the LEAP 1B for the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft.

More than 5,000 LEAP engines are currently in service, with a backlog of 10,000 more engines on order. https://www.gknaerospace.com; https://www.safran-group.com

Ontic expands Boeing distribution

Boeing continues to expand its exclusive distributor partnership with Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing. Through a new 10-year distribution agreement, Boeing will add to its offerings in thrust reverser actuation system (TRAS) and propeller electronic control unit (PECU) product lines – approximately 1,000 actuation and propulsion system products across multiple aircraft platforms.

Boeing’s distribution portfolio for Ontic also includes fuel controls, actuation, memory wheel device (MWD), lighting, interior electronics, and wipers product lines, and business and general aviation displays for civil and military aircraft.

“As we continue to grow our product-line portfolio, we need a partner that can grow with us. Boeing’s breadth and depth of network ensures our customers will get the right part at the right time,” says Brian Sartain, Ontic’s chief operating officer. https://shop.boeing.com; https://www.ontic.com