UTC Aerospace Systems delivers first Foley-built A320neo nacelles

UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., delivered the first two fully integrated propulsion systems for the Airbus 320neo from its Foley, Alabama, facility to the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. The newly expanded manufacturing and integration facility in Foley uses state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques that enable on-time, high quality customer deliveries. This award-winning manufacturing site integrated the full nacelle system, designed and built by UTC Aerospace Systems, with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine.

In 2011, Airbus selected UTC Aerospace Systems to design, manufacture, and support the full nacelle system for the A320neo GTF engines for the life of the program. The company received the Airbus Supplier Support Rating for exceptional aftermarket support of airplanes in 2017.

In support of the Airbus A320neo program, UTC Aerospace System elected to expand the Foley, Alabama campus to meet customer demand.

The 80,000ft² expansion in Foley began operations in late 2017 and includes:

• Automated material movement devices that increase efficiency of production and reduce labor hours

• Automated painting system for base, primer, and clear coat application

• Infrared drying tunnel that trims the drying time for the top coat by 60%

"This first for our Foley facility comes on the heels of similar A320neo propulsion systems deliveries from our plants in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany and, more recently, Tianjin, China," said UTC Aerospace Systems – Aerostructures President Marc Duvall. "Our team in Foley delivered these initial units on time and look forward to doing the same as the site ramps up to deliver thousands of A320neo nacelles over the life of the program."

Globally, UTC Aerospace Systems has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to build or expand six aerostructures sites in support of the A320neo nacelle industry ramp-up.