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AM at GKN Aerospace
GKN Aerospace: The development of Additive Manufacturing at a global Tier 1 aerospace supplier Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine was recently invited to visit the GKN Aerospace facility at Filton, Bristol, UK, to discover the business’s global development activities in Additive Manufacturing (AM) and to view the company’s on-site AM centre. Dr Robert Sharman, Head of Additive Manufacturing at GKN Aerospace, and Tim Hope, Manager of the Additive Manufacturing Centre at Filton, hosted the visit and outlined the company’s current activities and future aspirations in the field of AM for aerospace applications.
GKN plc is a global engineering business with four divisions; GKN Aerospace, GKN Driveline, GKN Powder Metallurgy and GKN Land Systems, which operate in the aerospace, automotive and land systems markets respectively. Founded more than 250 years ago, the UK-based company has adapted, developed and grown into a business with 56,000 employees and 2015 sales in excess of £7.5 billion. It serves most of the world’s leading vehicle, machinery and aircraft manufacturers. Through the acquisition of strategic elements of leading aerospace manufacturers, GKN Aerospace has grown to establish itself as a world-class business. Prominent steps in this growth path, with particular relevance to the division’s global AM development activities, date back to 2001 with the acquisition of the St. Louis, Missouri, USA, operation from Boeing. This acquisition created a strong partnership with Boeing in both metallic and composite technologies. This was followed in 2009 with
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the acquisition from Airbus of the UK’s Filton operation, significantly enhancing the business’s expertise in metallic aerostructure assembly. In 2012 GKN acquired Volvo Aero, Sweden, creating a market leader in aero-engine components and significantly expanding GKN’s aero
engine components business. The most recent acquisition, of Fokker Technologies, the Netherlands, in 2015 strengthened its market leading position, expanded its technology offering and increased content on key aerospace platforms, broadening its global footprint.
Fig. 1 An Arcam EBM machine in operation at GKN Aerospace’s Filton facility
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