Much of the aircraft growth will come from
single-aisle planes built by Boeing, Airbus,
COMAC and other aircraft makers. This market
needs next-generation jet engines like the LEAP,
which GE Aviation makes in a joint-venture with
France’s Snecma.
The new plants will make parts for the LEAP, the
GEnx, and other advanced engines. The Ellisville
plant will manufacture “composite fan platforms”
that lock in the engine fan blades, and other
composite structures. The platforms are made
from carbon fiber composites, an advanced
durable material much lighter than conventional
metals.
The material shaves pounds off the engine and
helps customers save expensive jet fuel. “Carbon
fiber composites have been around for some time,
but it’s very hard to mass produce them
consistently,” says Rick Kennedy, GE Aviation
spokesman. “That’s the secret sauce and we’ve
got it.”
GE is becoming one of the largest manufacturers
of advanced composites in the U.S. The company
now has four composite plants, including one in
nearby Batesville, Mississippi, which already
employs 350 workers. They make blades and fan
cases for the GEnx jet engines that serve on
Boeing’s Dreamliner and the new 747-8 passenger
jet.
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