Northwest Aerospace News February | March Issue No. 13 | Page 11

INNOVATION This principle is evidenced by GKN’s history of research and development. They have empowered their work- force to push the boundaries and in- novate for the future. As a supplier to companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, GKN’s understanding of the overall market is paramount, but they also realize how critical it is to really know and understand their custom- ers. In day-to-day operations GKN’s customers need a reliable delivery of parts that meet their requirements in order to build a functioning air- craft. However, GKN realizes this understanding of the market and its customers fuels the demand for innovation of the aerospace market on the whole. The rapid growth and implementation of new technology drives GKN’s decades of experience in constant innovation. Bowman proudly states, “We sit as a leader in both developing new technology for the market and excellence in deliv- ery to our specific customers. This is what makes our company unique, the fact that we are able to do both successfully.” The term additive manufacturing (AM) covers a suite of different pro- cesses all following the principle of creating components layer-by-layer, enabling the production of complex structures directly from 3D CAD models. AM is a disruptive, revolu- tionary technology that will impact global manufacturing and can be applied across GKN Aerospace’s product portfolio. AM is one of GKN Aerospace’s strategic priori- ty technologies and the business is leveraging skills and expertise across all divisions to offer a fully integrated solution. FEBRUARY | MARCH 2020 ISSUE NO. 13 11