Pratt & Whitney recently announced that it will invest approximately $386 million in its facility in Columbus, Georgia, to increase the production of parts and maintenance services and to reduce costs for new and existing engine programs. The investments will go toward the purchase of automated machinery and equipment upgrades as well as the construction of two new buildings on the property.
The building construction will include a 200,000-square-foot facility to overhaul GTF engines. A 20,000-square-foot specialized manufacturing facility and related infrastructure will also be built to house a new isothermal forge press, which will be used to manufacture turbine disks and compressor rotors for Pratt & Whitney engines. Other upgrades to equipment and machinery are also planned.
The Columbus Engine Center maintains PW1100G-JM, V2500, PW2000, F117 and F100 engines. Columbus Forge produces compressor airfoils and nickel and titanium forgings, which are machined into critical rotating components for Pratt & Whitney's military and commercial engines. Both facilities are located on one campus approximately 90 miles south of Atlanta.
"We're investing heavily in our Columbus facility to support the increased production and services planned for our F135 and GTF engines," said Chris Calio, president of Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. "This investment will help ensure that we have the appropriate infrastructure, tooling and trained workforce in place to provide the best products and services to our customers worldwide."
Pratt & Whitney has also expanded its relationship with Columbus Technical College to provide new and existing employees with robust training programs. The school will offer four- to nine-week programs focused on aerospace mechanics and advanced manufacturing technologies to better support the company's growth. This is one of several skills-development programs the company has in place with community colleges and technical schools throughout the United States.
Based in East Hartford, Connecticut, Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units.
For more information, visit www.pw.utc.com.