Pratt & Whitney announced today an important increase in production at its first advanced manufacturing facility in Singapore in order to help with Pratt & Whitney's 2018 ramp-up of production. This facility is operated by P&W NGPF Manufacturing Company Singapore Pte Ltd, a joint venture with Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd. This increase in production supports the recent announcement by Singapore's Economic Development Board to achieve S$4 billion (~US$3 billion) in manufacturing net output by 2020 for the country's aerospace industry. Pratt & Whitney's Asia Pacific operations are also located in China, India and New Zealand. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
Using adaptive machining and cutting-edge automated inspection systems, as well as the latest in advanced manufacturing tools and processes, the facility's production of fan blades and turbine disks – highly complex key components of the Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine family – has steadily increased since its official opening in 2016. Full production capacity for the plant is expected to be achieved by early 2019.
"Pratt & Whitney is committed to becoming a major contributor to the booming manufacturing market in Singapore and across the Asia Pacific region," said Marc Paquet, Pratt & Whitney Manufacturing Singapore General Manager. "We employ state-of-the-art intelligent technologies and innovative manufacturing lines to produce the world's most advanced engine parts and deliver products more quickly and with higher quality. The steady growth of our Singapore manufacturing facility's production is a testament to an increasing demand in Asia Pacific for our GTF engines. Delivering 16 percent better fuel efficiency, our GTF engines have been selected by more than 80 customers worldwide and are equipped to drive the next generation of efficient, sustainable air travel."
The Singapore manufacturing facility is part of Pratt & Whitney's US$110 million investment in Seletar Aerospace Park, Singapore's newest aerospace industrial park, and will play a key role in supporting the demand for more than 8,000 GTF engine firm and option orders from customers in Asia Pacific and around the globe. The facility operates two manufacturing lines delivering fan blades and high-pressure turbine disks for GTF engines. Both lines are expected to reach full capacity by 2019.
Innovative advanced manufacturing technologies and processes are deployed at the Singapore manufacturing facility so that the GTF engines are manufactured at the highest quality, and that production flow is time-efficient and optimized. For example, the facility deploys customized intelligent milling machines with automated compensation to reduce high-pressure turbine disk production by as much as 60 hours per part.
To meet a rising demand for aviation talent across the Asia Pacific region and to support a ramp up in production, Pratt & Whitney is also focused on nurturing and developing its more than 3,000-strong local workforce. Company initiatives such as development programs for graduate hires and leadership training for technical staff, provide employees with the latest in progressive automation and advanced aerospace technologies. Pratt & Whitney sponsors further learning opportunities for its employees at the Singapore facility and has sent personnel to Pratt & Whitney facilities worldwide to learn, train and elevate their capabilities.
"My career at Pratt & Whitney has been an exciting journey," said Wong Kai Xian, an aerospace engineer at the Singapore manufacturing plant who underwent training at Pratt & Whitney Canada. "The valuable opportunity to learn in Canada has given me the confidence and knowledge to better address technical challenges at work, and help my team ensure high-quality and time-efficient engine production."