Pioneering additive manufacturing and transforming the aerospace supply chain
Case study
The challenge:
Moving past traditional limits
Aircraft engine components have historically relied on massive castings and forgings, a process where up to 90% of the expensive raw material is machined away before reaching its final form. When GKN Aerospace’s ground-breaking engineers began investigating additive manufacturing (AM) more than 20 years ago, the technology was highly exploratory and lacked the quality control required for flight certification.
The ultimate challenge was to mature AM from a novel prototyping tool into a robust, scalable, and cost-effective production method capable of manufacturing massive, flight-critical components that could meet strict aerospace standards.
The solution:
25 years of process control & digital simulation
GKN Aerospace overcame these barriers through a multi-decade development strategy focused on two core proprietary technologies: Laser Metal Deposition-Wire (LMD-W) and Laser Metal Deposition-Powder (LMD-P). Backed by Swedish national and European framework programs, GKN Aerospace shifted the industry focus from mere geometry to absolute quality and predictability by building a highly advanced, interconnected data acquisition and feedback loop between its welding and additive engineering teams.
In parallel, GKN scaled industrial computational techniques to accurately simulate temperature, deformation, stress build-up, and shielding gas flow. This predictive simulation capability allows engineers to fully model full-scale engine parts with known accuracy levels hours before any physical welding begins. By mastering these physical and digital control systems, GKN was able to develop a new internal benchmark: every AM component must win its way onto an engine by offering superior weight, cost, or performance advantages over traditional methods.
The evolution:
Flight certification & commercial milestones
GKN’s structured approach paved the way for successful commercial and space certifications:
- Early space explorations: GKN developed robust nickel-based wire parameters as part of its work supporting next-generation engine nozzles for the European Ariane 6 space launcher system.
- Commercial aerospace breakthrough: GKN selected Laser Metal Deposition with Wire (LMD-w) to add complex features (bosses) directly onto the large Intermediate Compressor Casing (ICC) for the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB program. Full flight certification was awarded in 2012, and our facility in Trollhättan, Sweden now delivers hundreds of completed products each year.
- Hardware modifications: To meet new load and stiffness demands for the General Electric GEnx Turbine Rear Frames (TRF), GKN qualified the Laser Metal Deposition with Powder (LMD-p) process for Inconel 718 parts, successfully installing dedicated production machinery.
- Serial production: Today, our Additive Manufacturing is fully industrialised and in serial production on the fan case mount ring for Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines powering the Airbus A220 and Embraer E2. This alternative production method has boosted supply chain resilience at a critical time for the industry, while reducing material waste and product manufacturing emissions by more than 40%.
The Future: 2026 and beyond
Backed by strategic infrastructure investments to expand global capabilities, GKN enters 2026 by taking its latest additive fabrication technology into full industrial-scale production. By deploying modular additive fabrication cells, GKN can rapidly duplicate its certified AM processes worldwide to create advanced manufacturing jobs, dramatically cut lifecycle carbon emissions, and build a highly responsive, sustainable aerospace supply chain.