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Manufacturing pressure weighs on Pratt engine delays- The 18th China£¨Guangzhou£©Int¡¯l Sheet metal machinery,Forging, Stamping and Setting Equipment Exhibition
9/8/2016 îÓ½ðÕ¹-¶Íѹչ-sheet metal expo |
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Industry sources said that further delays in deliveries of the latest jet engine from Pratt & Whitney underline the challenges of speeding up manufacturing for multiple plane makers as well as pressure on an already taut supply chain.
Canada''s Bombardier said that it was cutting forecasts for CSeries jet deliveries because of delays in getting engines from Pratt & Whitney, one of a handful of engine makers whose efficient new designs have triggered a boom in aircraft sales.
Pratt & Whitney did not say what had caused the delays, but suggested it was grappling with problems at its own suppliers.
A spokeswoman in a statement said that "In terms of production, we''ve made significant headway in the supply chain, but there is some pressure on new engine deliveries for this year."
Three industry sources said the U.S. engine maker also faces challenges in bedding down the manufacturing techniques for the engines'' novel "hybrid-metallic" fan blades, the world''s first to be made mainly from aluminium alloy.
While the sources said there is nothing technically wrong with the lightweight blades, one said the problem was linked to perfecting advanced new industrial methods, leading to some quality problems and slowing down deliveries.
The source said that "The process is not yet automated enough; it remains too much of an artisan process."
Two of the sources said that the reported fan-blade manufacturing problem is at least partly responsible for delays that prompted Bombardier to more than halve its forecast for deliveries.
A person close to the matter said that it has also contributed to delays in some deliveries from Pratt to Airbus, though those are dwarfed by other technical issues now being resolved.
Airbus declined comment. Pratt & Whitney declined to add to its earlier statement.
Similar engines are being developed for planemakers in Brazil, Japan and Russia. Brazil''s Embrarer said its E-Jets E2 programme was not affected.
The new Geared Turbofan engine relies on a larger fan than previous comparable models to help burn less fuel.
Pratt & Whitney is ramping up output of the fan blades and other parts quickly to meet demand, and earlier this year opened a secondary manufacturing facility in Singapore.
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The 18th China£¨Guangzhou£©Int¡¯l
Sheet metal machinery,Forging, Stamping and Setting Equipment Exhibition
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