GKN and Pratt & Whitney will 3D print parts for the F-35 engine

A new deal for a troubled engine

GKN Aerospace and RTX's Pratt & Whitney have signed a Technology Development Agreement to explore additive manufacturing for the F135 engine. The F135 is the turbofan that powers the F-35 Lightning II, and it has a long record of manufacturing trouble: cracked blades, micro cracking, incorrect titanium in the supply chain, fires, and slow production.

What the program will do

The two companies plan to build an additive manufacturing demonstrator and deliver certified parts by 2028. They will work with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency on the project, with development led from GKN's facility in Kongsberg, Norway.

Notably, the work will use GKN's own directed energy deposition (DED) process rather than the more common laser powder bed fusion. GKN runs three DED centers, in Trollhättan (Sweden), Bristol, and Fort Worth. The company started on DED back in 2017 through a five-year research agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, investing $17.8 million.

Scale and ambition

GKN's cell-based DED system can produce parts up to five meters long. The wire-fed machine runs a 20kW laser inside a fully argon-filled cell, which keeps the build atmosphere clean for reactive metals. The stated goals are better buy-to-fly efficiency, lower cost, shorter lead times, and a more resilient supply chain.

Quotes from the partners

Sébastien Aknouche, Senior Vice President at GKN Aerospace, said the collaboration brings together strong industrial capabilities and advanced manufacturing expertise, and reflects the ambition to industrialise additive technologies for demanding aerospace work.

Chris Johnson, vice president of the F135 Program at Pratt & Whitney, said the agreement shows a continued focus on advancing technologies that support the long-term needs of the F135 program and improve future engine readiness.

Why this is a real signal for metal 3D printing

Additive manufacturing has spent years promising aerospace scale and delivering mostly small brackets and prototypes. A deal this close to a frontline fighter engine is different. If GKN and Pratt & Whitney can certify DED-built components for the F135, it moves metal printing from the margins into a program where reliability is non-negotiable. That is the kind of proof point the industry has been waiting for.