Northwest Aerospace News February | March Issue No. 13 | Page 12

The potential benefits of AM are
considerable and enable designers to
think in radically different ways when
developing components. But making
use of AM requires extreme levels
of precision and control. Different
metals and alloys behave differently
when they are molten and when they
solidify; that can require changes to
the manufacturing process.
“Overall, we are investing more in
research and development than ever
before. In 2018, we had a record level
of investment in technology at £75
million and we are on track for another
record year in 2019,” Bowman con-
firms. In 2020 GKN will be opening a
new Global Technology Center in the
United Kingdom which will serve as a
primary hub for aerospace innovation.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
Domestically GKN will continue
to invest and promote innovation
in aerospace manufacturing with
research at the U.S. Department
of Energy’s Oak Ridge National
Laboratory in Tennessee. GKN
is working on industrializing AM
by specifically targeting large-
scale aerospace parts that have not
conventionally been considered
possible to produce using AM.
GKN Aerospace’s unique posi-
tion in the industry may be what
truly separates them from other
aerospace suppliers. They have
been able to position themselves at
the crux of innovation and exe-
cution by empowering thousands
of employees to work on some of
the most forward-thinking inven-
tions and ideas on how to change
aviation for the 21st century and
beyond. Knowledgeable and
experienced employees are able to
execute the implementation of their
innovations through manufacturing
excellence, on-rate deliveries, and
unparalleled quality of product.
Change teams with highly skilled
employees who have the knowl-
edge and expertise to continuously
develop and implement ambitious
improvement projects operate
throughout GKN Aerospace. Each
employee is trained to know the
flow of value to the customer. Lean
manufacturing and automation have
been introduced on a global scale.
In all their processes GKN looks
at what they are doing through the
lens of the customer.