GKN Aerospace continues to advance the industrialization of additive manufacturing technologies in the aerospace sector. Central to these efforts is the Fan Case Mount Ring (FCMR), a structurally critical component for the GTF engine used in aircraft such as the Airbus A220 and Embraer E195-E2. The part is now being produced in increasing quantities at the company’s site in Trollhättan, Sweden, and is expected to reach full serial production by the end of 2025.
Earlier this year, GKN Aerospace completed the 200th delivery of the additively manufactured “Hot Size Ring”—the structural core of the FCMR—to its Newington facility in the United States for final machining. Current production output stands at around 30 units per month, with plans to scale up to 40 units per month by year’s end. Alongside this, key certification processes have been completed, including approval by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the first additively manufactured safety-critical structural component in commercial aviation.
The FCMR is produced using laser- or arc-based Direct Energy Deposition (DED) and, according to GKN Aerospace, meets the quality standards typically associated with cast components. The additive process is reported to reduce material usage per part by up to 40 percent, with a long-term goal of exceeding 70 percent savings. Furthermore, lead times are expected to drop from nine months to as little as four weeks.
“This is a turning point for aerospace manufacturing. With the FCMR programme at industrial scale, we are proving not just the technical capabilities of additive fabrication, but its real-world impact on sustainability, lead time and cost as well as bringing predictability to our supply chain. Our recent achievements underline GKN Aerospace’s leadership in developing and certifying advanced fabrication technologies for next-generation engines – and this is just the start for this transformative technology”, said Joakim Andersson President Engines, GKN Aerospace
The ongoing development of the technology is embedded in a globally scalable, modular production architecture that is scheduled for international deployment starting in 2026.
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