Components

Pratt & Whitney to open 60,000 square foot ceramic matrix composites facility in California

Some of the best and brightest minds will be innovating within this facility and they will ensure to continue to operate on the cutting edge of aviation technology
The temperature capability of CMC parts is several hundred degrees higher than state-of-the-art superalloy parts

CMC materials are lightweight and can be used to manufacture engine parts that are one-third the weight of traditional metallic parts.

21 July 2021: Pratt & Whitney recently announced the opening of a 60,000 square-foot ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) engineering & development facility in Carlsbad, California. This facility is an integrated engineering, development and low-rate production facility solely dedicated to CMCs for aerospace applications.

Frank Preli, vice president of Propulsion & Materials Technology at Pratt & Whitney said, “Pratt & Whitney has been leading the industry with the world’s quietest, greenest, most efficient and highest performance engines in the world. We’ve achieved this by pioneering new materials, aerodynamics and engine architectures. Some of our best and brightest minds are innovating within this facility and they will ensure that we continue to operate on the cutting edge of aviation technology for decades to come.”

Ceramic matrix composites are a class of material made of ceramic fibers embedded within a ceramic matrix. CMC materials are lightweight and can be used to manufacture engine parts that are one-third the weight of traditional metallic parts. The temperature capability of CMC parts is several hundred degrees higher than state-of-the-art superalloy parts. This translates into a significant improvement in fuel efficiency as well as weight savings, with the added benefit of reduced emissions and carbon footprint.

Our revolutionary Pratt & Whitney GTF engines already deliver up to 20 percent better fuel efficiency, 50 percent lower regulated emissions and a 75 percent reduction in noise footprint for our customers. CMC parts will allow us to do even more, by building upon the industry-leading benefits in efficiency and sustainability that the GTF engine already delivers.” Preli further added.

Pratt & Whitney has a long history of innovation and engineering excellence, starting with the world’s first air-cooled Wasp engine in 1925.