A leading edge through geared turbofan technology · 2014. 8. 11. · the bypass ratio of the...

The A400M Atlas—thebackbone of military airtransport

2/2013

Customers + Partners Global

Power rather thanthrust

MTU Aero Engines AGDachauer Straße 66580995 Munich • GermanyTel. +49 89 1489-0Fax +49 89 [email protected]

Technology + Science

Progress never stops

A leading edge throughgeared turbofan technology

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Technology + ScienceProgress never stopsEfficient and powerful

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Products + ServicesEngines under stress

GlobalPower rather than thrust

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In Brief Masthead

Contents

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Cover Story A leading edge through geared turbofantechnology

Customers + Partners The A400M Atlas—the backbone of military air transportInnovation in a remote corner of the globeFrom airmail carrier to global player A transatlantic tandem

More REPORT in digital formGet the eMagazine and iPadapp for more multimediafeatures fromwww.mtu.de/report

Bombardier’s CSeries entered the flight test phase in September.The first PW1500G engines for production jets will be delivered tothe Canadian airframer before the year is out. MTU Aero Enginescontributes the high-speed low-pressure turbine and the forwardfour stages of the high-pressure compressor to the PW1500G.Pages 6 – 13

A leading edge through geared turbofan technology

The A400M Atlas—the backbone of military air transport

Under the European Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), whichis approaching the home stretch, the successful geared turbofantechnology will again be substantially improved. Among the compa-nies participating in this mammoth project is MTU Aero Engines, withresponsibility for building a demonstrator engine.Pages 34 – 39

Progress never stops

New Zealand is a small country geographically remote from theworld’s major centers. It takes a long flight to get to the “most beau-tiful corner of the world”. No wonder, then, that Air New Zealand, asatisfied MTU customer since 2007, plays a crucial role in connectingthe home country with the rest of the world. Pages 20 – 23

Innovation in a remote corner of the globe

In early August, the first A400M Atlas arrived at the air force base ofOrléans-Bricy and was handed over to the French air force. Now thefirst military pilots will be able to experience the capabilities of thenew Airbus military transport and its four TP400-D6 engines first-hand.Pages 14 – 19

GE’s LM6000 industrial gas turbines (IGTs) are reliable, rapidly rampup to their rated power and withstand repeated start/stop cycleseven in a single day. MTU has successfully developed enhanced pro-tective coatings for the LM6000 Growth versions. These efforts havehelped increase the performance of the 50-megawatt IGT and reduceits emissions. Pages 48 – 53

Power rather than thrust

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ReportThe end of an era

Editorial

Dear Readers:

On September 16, at 9:55 a.m. local time, Canadian aircraft manufacturerBombardier’s CSeries flight test vehicle one (FTV1) powered by Geared Turbo-fan™ (GTF) engines took to the skies for the first time. The CSeries maidenflight has heralded in a new era for MTU: It marked the debut of a generationof engines that has revolutionized engine construction in next to no time. Withthe innovative technology of the PurePower® engine family, we, alongside ourpartners, have demonstrated just how much improvement in fuel economy andnoise reduction can be achieved.

A few years ago, nobody would have dared to dream that the GTF would be sucha huge market success. Today, with the Bombardier CSeries just having madeits inaugural flight, orders have been received for some 4,700 of the new GTF-family engines. And every major international air show keeps adding to thatnumber, with the lion’s share of orders being for engines to power AirbusA320neo aircraft. This makes the GTF programs MTU’s key drivers of growth.That said, ramping up production in support of these programs also brings itsown challenges. We are very well prepared to fulfill our obligations: Our manu-facturing shops, our processes and our supply chain management have all beenrevamped, and our facilities in Munich and Poland’s Rzeszów expanded toaccommodate the additional workload. For the anticipated growth to material-ize, we continue to rely on the commitment and dedication of our highly skilledemployees. Everyone has their part to play in shaping MTU’s future.

Our engineers’ accomplishments deserve our full respect, not only because ofthe tremendous technological leap forward that they have made possible. Intimes of ever scarcer resources, constantly rising kerosene prices and a steadygrowth in air traffic—at an average annual rate of five percent—travelers and air-port neigbors, authorities, organizations and last, but not least the airlines them-selves have every right to expect that aircraft and their engines are designedfor low fuel burn and excellent environmental performance. By contributing itsgeared turbofan components, MTU is making a sustainable contribution to ourenvironment and our society.

After six years of service, I will be stepping down as MTU’s CEO at the end ofthe year. These were six eventful years, which truly seem to have flown by. I wishmy successor Reiner Winkler and my fellow members on the Board of Manage-ment every success in the future, and the same to you, dear readers.

I hope you enjoy exploring and reading about the exciting topics featured in thisissue.

Sincerely yours,

Egon BehleChief Executive Officer

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Cover Story

A leading edge throughgeared turbofan technology

Bombardier’s CSeries, a game-changing new family of single-aisle aircraft, enteredthe flight test phase in September. The first PW1500G engines for production jetswill be delivered to the Canadian airframer before the year is out. MTU Aero Enginescontributes the high-speed low-pressure turbine and the forward four stages of thehigh-pressure compressor to this engine.

By Achim Figgen

The successful first flight of CSeries flight test vehicleone (FTV1), a CS100 jetliner bearing Canadian regis-tration markings C-FBCS, was conducted by ChiefFlight Test Pilot Chuck Ellis and First Officer Andy Litavnikson September 16. The aircraft was greeted enthusiastical-ly by a crowd of spectators as it touched down and taxiedto Bombardier’s flight test center at Montreal–MirabelInternational Airport after around two-and-a-half hours inthe air.

The maiden flight marked the beginning of an approxi-mately one-year test and certification program involvinga total of five CS100s. Upon successful completion of the

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program the aircraft is expected to obtain certificationfirst by Transport Canada and then by other aviationauthorities around the globe. It is certainly no exaggera-tion to say that with the CSeries family, which includesthe basic version CS100 with 110 seats in standard single-class configuration and the larger CS300 with 135 seats,likewise in standard single-class configuration, Bombardieris opening up an entirely new chapter in commercial avi-ation. Not only because the CSeries is the first all-newsingle-aisle aircraft since the time the A320 entered intoservice more than 25 years ago. It also is the first airlinerpowered by Pratt & Whitney’s highly advanced PW1000GGeared Turbofan™ engine.

Powered by the innovative PW1500G geared turbofan, Bombardier’s new CSeries aircraft successfully completed its first flight in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada.

With the new aircraft family Bombardier, previously knownmainly as manufacturer of regional and business jets, isventuring into the commercial airliner segment, wherethe company is directly competing with market leadersAirbus and Boeing. In contrast to their smallest models,the Airbus A318 and A319 and Boeing 737-700, respec-tively, the CSeries is more than just a shrunk version of a150-seater: It is an aircraft optimized for the targetedmarket. The jet features a narrower fuselage for a five-abreast seating configuration in economy class and ismarkedly lighter than any other aircraft in the same seatcategory. While passengers will certainly appreciate thelarger windows and the massive overhead luggage bins

that are big enough to hold oversized carry-on bags, thecommercial managers of airlines will mainly be interestedin the aircraft’s cost-effectiveness: The Canadian airframerpromises its customers a 20-percent reduction in fuelburn as compared with similar jets currently in service.And maintenance costs will be down by as much as 25percent. These cost savings are achieved through theextensive use of highly advanced materials. The fuselageskin consists of aluminum-lithium alloys, while the wings,engine nacelle, rear fuselage and empennage are madefrom fiber composite materials. As a result, the weight ofthe aircraft was reduced by more than one ton.

Achievement of the desired improvements over present-day aircraft is owed to a large extent also to the jet’s newpropulsion system: As the second aircraft manufacturer(after Mitsubishi) Bombardier in the fall of 2007 opted forPratt & Whitney’s GTF engine family, which was renamedPurePower® PW1000G in 2008. GTF stands for GearedTurbofan™. What sets this new propulsion system apartis that it features a reduction gearbox between the fanand low-pressure turbine (LPT). In conventional turbofans,the fan is driven directly by the turbine. Here, the gear-box decouples the two components, allowing them torotate at their respective optimum speeds. As a result,the bypass ratio of the PW1000G is higher than that of

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Cover Story

any other turbofan engine. The markedly increased ef-ficiencies of the fan and LPT as well as the reduced stagecount of the low-pressure turbine more than outweigh theadditional weight of the gearbox. The concept is catchingon with airframers: Airbus is offering the geared turbofanengine for its A320neo family. Embraer has picked theGTF engine for its new-generation E-Jets, and Irkut haschosen it for its MS-21. To date, Pratt & Whitney hasreceived more than 4,700 firm orders and commitmentsfor the various models of the PW1000G family.

For additional information, contactJürgen Eschenbacher+49 89 1489-8663

The maiden flight of the first CS100, initially scheduled totake place in the second half of 2012, had to be post-poned first to June 2013 and then ultimately to Septem-ber. But this delay can certainly not be blamed on theengine. After all, the PW1500G, the GTF model poweringthe CSeries jets, had obtained certification from Trans-port Canada as early as on February 20 this year.

The engines are assembled by Pratt & Whitney Canada, asubsidiary of United Technologies Corporation like its sis-ter company Pratt & Whitney, at its Mirabel AerospaceCentre, which is located in the immediate vicinity ofBombardier’s facility. In Mirabel, a couple of kilometersto the north-west of Montreal, the airframer is currentlybuilding a 62,000-square-meter shop that will accommo-date the final assembly line for the CSeries aircraft pro-gram. The shop is expected to be up and running in mid-2014.

Another new building went up in Munich. After a con-struction time of around 20 months MTU Aero Enginesofficially opened its new blisk center of excellence in earlyApril. In this shop, the company will produce the forwardfour stages of the high-pressure compressor for the entirePW1000G engine family, and blisks for other programs.Germany’s leading engine manufacturer not only hasdesign and manufacturing responsibility for these com-pressor stages. What is more important still, MTU isresponsible for the development and production of thehigh-speed low-pressure turbine—a key component with-out which the geared turbofan technology would never

have materialized. The company will contribute its tur-bine to all GTF variants currently on offer.

Of course, work on the development of the first GTF vari-ant—the PW1500G powering the CSeries family, whichobtained certification earlier this year—has meanwhilelargely been completed and preparations for the produc-tion of this model are presently underway. Apart frommaking sure that the requisite production capacities areavailable both in-house and at its suppliers’, the companyhas to incorporate modifications deemed necessary as aresult of the experience gained during the test phase.“What we’re talking about here are minor improvementsto detail parts rather than changes to the basic design,”says Dr. Claus Riegler, Chief Engineer, NGPF Programs.Important aspects to consider include the stability of thecomponents under service conditions and their maintain-ability. The engineers must also be prepared for potentialproblems in production. “If we find out, for example, thatparts provided by suppliers need to be modified becausethey cannot be optimally produced in their original con-figuration, such modifications will be incorporated in thisphase,” explains Jürgen Eschenbacher, Vice President,Business Development and GTF Programs at MTU AeroEngines. But MTU’s specialists are making every effort tominimize such risks from the outset by selecting suppliersat a very early stage and involving them in the manufac-ture of the first test engines. “In addition to our designreview process, we’ve put a production readiness reviewprocess in place. Throughout the entire developmentphase, the component designs are reviewed at regular

Cover Story

Pratt & Whitney Canada's new Mirabel Aerospace Centre, located in the vicinity of Montreal-Mirabel International Airport in Quebec, Canada, is a state-of-the-art assembly and test facility for next-generation engines.

Over 3,000 blisks a year will be produced at the new 10,000-square-meter center of excellence at MTU in Munich.

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intervals together with our suppliers to ensure manufac-turability,” adds Eschenbacher.

Plans are to deliver the first modules for productionengines to Pratt & Whitney in late 2013. At about thesame time, a PW1500G engine will be subjected toendurance testing on one of MTU’s test stands in Munich.More than one-and-a-half years ago, in early 2012, thecompany had already conducted a stress and thermalsurvey on a complete PW1500G at its Munich location.Successful completion of this survey, which serves tomeasure the thermal and vibrational stresses acting onthe LPT components, is an essential prerequisite for cer-tification of the low-pressure turbine.

Preparations for the aircraft’s entry into service are in fullswing not only at Pratt & Whitney, MTU and the other pro-gram partners. Bombardier, too, is stepping up produc-tion activities. If testing and certification continue to goforward as planned the first CS100 will be delivered inlate 2014. Among the first European airlines to operateCSeries jets will be Sweden’s Malmö Aviation, followed, alittle bit later, by Swiss, a subsidiary of the LufthansaGroup. Lufthansa had become the launch customer back

in July 2008 when it signed a letter of intent for the pur-chase of the aircraft. The German carrier is not only acustomer, but also a partner to Bombardier. Its subsidiaryLufthansa Flight Training (LFT) will train pilots and cabincrews, and Lufthansa Technical Training (LTT), a LufthansaTechnik AG subsidiary, will provide technical training formaintenance specialists for European-based operators ofBombardier CS100 and CS300 aircraft. So far, the num-ber of CSeries customers in Europe is rather limited.While Airbus, Boeing and Embraer were able to win hun-dreds of orders for their A320neo, 737 MAX and E-Jet E2families developed not least in response to the launch ofthe CSeries, Bombardier has received a mere 373 firmorders and options so far. But the Canadian airframerfirmly believes that further orders will follow now that themaiden flight has been successfully completed. There isno doubt that both the aircraft and its propulsion systemhold great promise of long-term success.

Cover Story

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Mr. Schreyögg, orders for the PW1000G havereached a record high. How will this reflect inMTU’s business development?

The PW1000G Geared Turbofan™ family is aresounding success for MTU, there’s nodoubt about that. Never before has a newengine sold in such huge numbers evenbefore it entered revenue service. More thanever, airlines are looking for fuel-thriftier,cleaner and quieter engines. They opted forthe geared turbofan because they were quickto see that this new technology fitted the billon every count. As from the middle of thisdecade, when these engines will enter intoservice on the Airbus A320neo and on Bom-bardier’s and Embraer’s regional jets, theywill make a substantial contribution towardsensuring continued growth in MTU’s rev-enues. The engines powering these aircrafttypes account for the major part of the world-wide engine market.

Did anybody expect the GTF to be such asuccess?

We’d never expected the geared turbofan togain such an enormous market share withinsuch a short period of time. If anyone had saidfive years ago that orders for geared turbo-fan engines would stand at 4,700 units in2013 nobody would have believed it. So, tobe able to comply with our high standards interms of on-time delivery performance andquality we are now focusing all our efforts onthe production ramp-up. An important stepto prepare for the high volumes expectedwas the setting-up of our center of excel-lence for blisk production, which was inaugu-rated in April this year. About 90 percent ofthe high-tech components to be produced in

the new shop will go into the geared turbofanprograms. As a result, production volumeswill quintuple over the next few years ascompared with today’s levels. MTU contrib-utes the high-speed low-pressure turbine andthe forward four stages of the high-pressurecompressor to the geared turbofan. In addi-tion, 30 percent of the engines to power theA320neo will be assembled in Munich anddelivered directly to Airbus. In a first for the

The geared turbofan—a driver of growth

company, MTU has taken on responsibility forthe final assembly of a commercial engine.

Given this huge order backlog, do you haveany concerns about MTU’s ability to deliver ontime?

We are very confident that we will be able tofully meet all our delivery commitments. Forsome years now, we’ve been making prepa-

rations for revamping our production lines,restructuring our supply chain managementand streamlining our processes to suit theneeds of the production ramp-up for the newprograms. We’ve launched various efficiencyimprovement projects, decided to expand ourfacility in Poland and taken a number of othermeasures, some of which have already beenimplemented. To secure a timely supply ofparts and materials we’ve concluded long-term agreements with our most importantsuppliers. All these projects required a lot ofhard work and dedication on the part of ourhighly committed staff during the last fewyears and will continue to do so. But investingin the future of our company will pay divi-dends down the road.

Michael Schreyögg, member of the MTU Aero Engines’ Board of Management, Programs.

Michael Schreyögg, member of MTU Aero Engines’ Board of Management, Pro-grams, since July 1, 2013, is responsible for marketing the Geared Turbofan™engines. The PW1000G family has developed into a real bestseller boosting thecompany’s order books to the highest level ever.

Final assembly of the PW1100G-JM powering the Airbus A320neo will be performed by MTU in Munich as from 2015.

MTU’s new center of excellence for blisks boasts highly advanced production facilities.

What’s your outlook for the future of thegeared turbofan?

For MTU the geared turbofan engines will be amajor driver of growth, that’s for sure. Withthis game-changing technology jointly devel-oped by Pratt & Whitney and MTU as its partner,the company is making a major contributiontowards ensuring ecological sustainability: Ina first step, our innovative GTF technologywill reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by15 percent each. In addition, the perceivednoise level will be halved, which is a big relieffor people living in the vicinity of airports.The three-liter aircraft has already become areality. With a future generation of engineswhich combines geared turbofan and other

new technologies, we could make a big stepforward towards the two-liter aircraft.

The quality of our products not only reflectsin the success they have in the marketplace.It also earns us prizes and distinctions:Earlier this year, for example, MTU won theGerman Industry’s 32nd Innovation Awardand the German Innovation Award. In bothcases, we received the recognition for ourhigh-speed low-pressure turbine, a key com-ponent of the geared turbofan. All this goesto show that we are on the right track.

Customers + Partners

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The A400M Atlas— the backbone

of military air transport

The A400M Atlas has landed! In early August, shortly after theEuropean Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation OCCARhad granted Initial Operating Clearance, the first production air-craft arrived at the air force base of Orléans-Bricy and was handedover to the French air force. Now the first military pilots will be ableto experience the capabilities of the new Airbus military transportand its four TP400-D6 engines first-hand. In the meantime, produc-tion at MTU continues at full speed.

By Patrick Hoeveler

Weeks before the arrival of the A400M, the mili-tary air base approximately 120 kilometerssouth-west of Paris was bustling with activity asthe personnel set about preparing the site for the newairlifter. Transport squadron 1/61 “Touraine” is replacingits Transall C-160s with the A400M. In all, some 171 mil-lion euros have been spent on the modernization of theinfrastructure and the construction of a new mainte-nance hangar and a new control tower. The number ofparking spots on the apron has been doubled to accom-modate the new military transport, of which France hasordered a total of 50 units. And two flight simulators arebeing installed in a new, purpose-built simulation center,the first of which is expected to be up and running thisfall.

Full civil type certification for the aircraft in the spring of2013 marked the temporary end of the test program forthe basic version of the A400M; further developmentefforts will focus primarily on the military systems.Before, in December 2012, the functional and reliability(F&R) flight test campaign was successfully completed.

Assembly of a TP400-D6 engine at MTU in Munich.


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“The aircraft was in the air for up to 20 hours per day. Intotal, it clocked up 300 flight hours in a little less thanfive weeks,” reported former EPI President Simon Henleywho passed the helm to his successor, Ian Crawford, inJuly 2013. “The engine performed perfectly and eventurned out better on fuel burn than predicted.” The testpilots were impressed by the engine’s responsivenessand performance.

In mid-2012, the functional and reliability flight tests hadto be interrupted by Airbus after the discovery of cracksin a cover plate of the TP400-D6 gearbox. All enginesbuilt to this standard had to be returned to the finalassembly line at MTU Aero Engines in Munich, wherethey were dismantled to install a redesigned version toreplace the defective component. The engines were thenshipped to MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg inLudwigsfelde for reassembly and acceptance testing. “Wesolved the gearbox problem and retrofitted all engineswith the redesigned parts. This incident permitted MTUto demonstrate the capacity of its assembly lines muchearlier than originally planned,” commented Henley. Andindeed, the company had delivered the first four produc-tion engines on April 17, 2012.

Gerhard Bähr, Director, TP400-D6 Program at MTU, de-scribes the next steps to be taken: “The TP400-D6 pro-

gram now enters its crucial phase as we make the transi-tion from development to production and service.” Thiswill require huge efforts on the part of the EPI partnersITP, MTU, Rolls-Royce, and Snecma, who must rapidlyramp up production to be able to meet the agreed deliv-ery schedule. Plans are to assemble 40 units of the turbo-prop engine this year, and twice as many in 2014.

TP400-D6 engine on the wing of an A400M.

Testing of all TP400-D6 production engines is exclusively performed atMTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg.


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MTU delivered the engine control software required foraircraft certification in December 2012. “The first flight-worthy engine control software, which was used for themaiden flight in 2009 and ensured that flight testingcould be carried out safely, did not yet include the fullrange of functionalities. The latest version features addi-tional maintenance functions that make it easier forpilots and flight engineers to diagnose faults and tracetheir origin,” says Dr. Frank Grauer, Senior Manager,Control System Definition and Validation, TP400-D6 atMTU.

The work of the software engineers is by no means overnow that the A400M has entered into service. As Bährexplains: “Many of the problems encountered during thein-service phase can be resolved with the aid of softwaremodifications, and we expect to see further upgrades inthe years to come.” Since the beginning of 2013, softwaredevelopment has been the responsibility of AerospaceEmbedded Solutions (AES), a joint venture between MTUand Safran, set up with the aim of consolidating the twocompanies’ control system expertise in the long term.

The hardware developed by MTU performed flawlessly inthe A400M engine. “The intermediate-pressure compres-sor is an extremely highly engineered component and itsdevelopment involved high risks. Our team did an excellentjob implementing the requirements, and the compressormeets the specification in full,” concludes Dr. WolfgangGärtner, Director, Engineering, Military Programs at MTU.“All modules of the TP400-D6 are functioning without ahiccup, including the intermediate-pressure compressorand intermediate-pressure turbine supplied by MTU,” con-firms EPI Technical Director Dr. Michael Göing.

Although the first engines have only just left the finalassembly line, preparations are already underway fortheir maintenance. For sooner or later all powerplantsreturn to the respective national manufacturer. Here theyare disassembled into their constituent modules, whichare in turn sent to the partner companies in charge ofthem for the necessary work. MTU will be responsible for

Civil aviation standards

maintaining the engines operated in Germany. In the firstfew years, the traditional model of military maintenancewill apply: “In the event of damage, the engine is returnedto the manufacturer, which takes care of troubleshootingand repairs and invoices the work done on the basis of atime-and-materials contract,” explains Bähr. He believesthat at a later date, it is conceivable to change over to anapproach that resembles that followed in the commercialaviation business. He is referring to fly-by-hour contracts,under which the customer pays a fixed amount per hourof flying time in return for a guarantee of full engine avail-ability. “This will, however, only be possible once we havesufficient operating data to establish realistic failurerates, which will not be the case before 2020,” as Bährpoints out.

Now that the A400M is in operation, the experiencegained may help boost export sales. “The TP400-D6 isone of our most important military programs at present,The specialists at AES have chalked up lots of experience working to develop the control systems for the TP400-D6 engine powering the A400M military airlifter.

The Airbus A400M Atlas will be the back-bone of future military transport inEurope. With a power output of 8,200kilowatts, the TP400-D6 built by EPIEuroprop International (EPI) is the mostpowerful turboprop engine in the Westernworld. And it is the first military aircraftengine program based on a commercialapproach in which the developmentphase is financed by industry and thenecessary capital expenditure has to berecovered by revenues generated duringthe in-service phase.

“This approach ensures a clearly definedframework for cooperation between thenations and industry, which simplifiesproject management. EPI has no directcontractual relationship with any of thebuyer nations,” explains Gerhard Bähr,Director, TP400-D6 Program at MTU. Eachcustomer signs a contract for the entireaircraft, including its engines.

“In addition, the TP400-D6 is the firstmilitary engine that was designed withcivil aviation approval in mind from the

and exports are of vital importance to the program,” saysBähr. “Airbus estimates the total demand worldwide at300 aircraft. Among interested potential buyers arecountries in the Middle East, South-East Asia, Australia,and South Africa. No doubt the most attractive exportmarket would be the United States, where there is abasic need for airlifters with the A400M’s capabilities.” Inany case, the program partners cannot complain aboutlack of work: “With more than 750 engines on order, wehave enough work to keep us busy for several years,”said EPI President Henley.

outset,” adds Dr. Wolfgang Gärtner,Director, Engineering, Military Programsat MTU. “Since the seven nations eachhave their own approval procedures, theproject partners and the OCCAR pro-curement agency opted for the only com-mon standard, that of the EuropeanAviation Safety Agency (EASA),” said EPIPresident Simon Henley. As a result, theTP400-D6 is also the first turbopropengine approved by EASA for use inheavy-lift transport applications.

Four TP400-D6 engines, the most powerful turboprops in the Westernworld, take the A400M to the skies.

For additional information, contactGerhard Bähr+49 89 1489-8542

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go towww.mtu.de/report

otearoa, the native Mãori name for New Zealand—which literally means “the land of the long whitecloud”—is home to some four and a half million people

and over 60 million sheep. This population swells by over twoand a half million people that come to visit the country everyyear, tourism being the largest export industry of this smallcountry in the Pacific. Almost all tourists arrive by airplane,many choosing to fly with Air New Zealand. The country’snational airline started out as Tasman Empire Airways Limited(TEAL) in 1940, operating flying boats on trans-Tasman routes.The carrier was renamed Air New Zealand in 1965 and hasbeen flying with the koru symbol adorning the tail of its air-craft since 1973. This symbol is a stylized representation ofan unfurling silver fern frond that signifies new life and growth.Air New Zealand joined the Star Alliance network back in1999 and operates a dense route network of flights especiallyto destinations in the South Pacific and Asia. It also offers upto 20 flights per week from Los Angeles and San Francisco toAuckland. Europe is served by means of daily flights toLondon Heathrow via Los Angeles. Air New Zealand used tobe the only airline to offer a round-the-world service, however


Innovation in a remotecorner of the globe

New Zealand is a small country and geographically remote from the world’s major centers. It takes along flight to get to this destination known as the “most beautiful corner of the world”. No wonder thatits national flag carrier, Air New Zealand, plays a crucial role in connecting its home country with therest of the world. Few other airlines have come up with more ideas to improve the customer experienceand make air travel more convenient and passengers happy—its innovations, which range from ground-breaking seating design to cheeky safety videos, have become a rage on the web. The airline has beena satisfied MTU customer since 2007.

By Andreas Spaeth

A

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it recently axed its Hong Kong-to-London route as it was nolonger profitable.

Carrying 13 million passengers last year with a fleet of 104aircraft, Air New Zealand is not a large airline. But despite itsmodest size, the airline certainly masters the art of drawingpublic attention, for example by developing its own productsthat it is now selling profitably to other airlines, too. Theseinnovations include the “Skycouch”, a row of three Economyseats which can be turned into a flat bed, and the PremiumEconomy Class “Spaceseat”.

Air New Zealand caused a stir with its promotion for the mostrecent part of the Hobbit trilogy, which saw the airline pres-ent itself as “the airline from Middle-earth” including aBoeing 777-300ER covered by a huge decal inspired by themovie. Equally popular are the airline’s hilarious inflight safe-ty videos, which have had millions of clicks on the Internet.Former CEO Rob Fyfe even appeared in an advertising cam-paign as a baggage handler wearing only body paint—a clipthat also proved massively popular online.


“We can’t afford advertising campaigns in our big markets, sowe need leverage to create a bigger personality of ourselvesthan we deserve with our size,” explained Fyfe about the philo-sophy behind the campaigns. His successor Christopher Luxonstates: “We are an airline that is successful, we can be veryproud about the journey we have been on in the last tenyears, but we are not going to be complacent.” Air New Zea-land may have required a government bailout in 2002, but inthe meantime the airline has seen profits soar, and since2008 has even returned profits on long-haul routes for thefirst time.

Air New Zealand has been relying on MTU Maintenance’sexpertise for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of itslong-haul aircraft engines since 2007. The first MRO contractwas signed for the CF6-80C2 engines powering Air NewZealand’s Boeing 767-300s (of which five are still part of thefleet) and 747-400s (with two still in operation). Recently theagreements were extended until these aircraft are retiredfrom service, which is expected until 2016. MTU MaintenanceHannover has so far carried out maintenance work on 47CF6-80C2 engines from New Zealand, including 40 shop visitswith major overhauls. “Air New Zealand is an innovative andsuccessful airline, and an important partner for us,” empha-sizes Holger Sindemann, Managing Director of MTU Mainte-nance Hannover, MTU’s center of excellence for the repairand overhaul of large and medium-sized engines. “This makesus all the more happy about the excellent working relation-ship we’ve always enjoyed with the customer.”

In August 2013 the first GE90-115B was delivered toMTU Maintenance in Hannover for full performance res-toration. The customer is Virgin Australia, a partner to AirNew Zealand. “We completely disassemble the modules,focusing on the hot section in particular,” explainsThomas Michaelis, Senior Manager, Engine Testing at theHannover-based shop. This time-consuming proceduretakes 4,000 to 5,000 man-hours. “We manage that in 85days,” says Michaelis, compared to an industry standardof around 120 to 140 days. MTU Maintenance plans to re-duce the turnaround time to only 80 days by 2014.

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Air New Zealand is currently undergoing a renewal process.“The complexity of our fleet will diminish tremendously, Ithink we will end up with Boeing 777s and 787s in widebodyaircraft and Airbus A320s for short-haul,” explains Luxon.The airline has placed an order for ten Boeing 787-9s, des-tined for use on its Shanghai, Tokyo, Perth, Honolulu andPapeete routes. After a series of delivery delays, Air NewZealand is supposed to receive the aircraft as launch cus-tomer between July 2014 and 2017.

2014 will also see two more 777-300ERs join the carrier’s cur-rent fleet of eight Boeing 777-200ERs and five 777-300ERs.MTU Maintenance will also be responsible for maintainingthe GE90-115B engines powering these new aircraft; the cor-responding contract was signed in 2011 and runs until 2023.“The deal covers 16 engines,” explains Oliver Skop, CustomerAccount Manager at MTU Maintenance Hannover. MTUobtained the license to maintain the higher-thrust GE90 vari-ants in 2010. “These new engines are expected to have anaverage on-wing time of 25,000 hours, equivalent to five tosix years in service,” according to Skop. “So we’re not ex-pecting to see the first engine from Auckland in Hannoverbefore 2015.”

A GE90 engine due to undergo overhaul will then be sent asair freight via Singapore to Amsterdam or Brussels, fromwhere it will be transported by road to Hannover. Cost eachway: 90,000 U.S. dollars. “We are in all practical terms ‘halfa world’ apart, but the overhaul services we receive fromMTU are truly world-class,” says Mick Burdon, Fleet Power-plant Manager at Air New Zealand. “MTU’s commitment toquality, engineering excellence and support of our operationcounters the time zone and physical distance.” MTU holds itscustomer in equally high regard, as Wim van Beers, VicePresident Marketing & Sales, Asia, confirms: “Air New Zea-land has strong engineering capabilities, we have a great dealof confidence in one another and working together is a lot offun.” And with such a close partnership—as both sidesagree—it’s possible to bridge even the greatest distanceswith ease.

The Airbus A320 will increasingly be used on short-haul routes.

The last preparations on a GE90 engine in the test cell at MTU Maintenance Hannover.

A GE90 engine in the shop at MTU Maintenance Hannover.

GE90 at MTU Maintenance

For additional information, contactWim van Beers+49 5114 7806-2390



From airmail carrier

to global player

The beginnings of US Airways were humble: The company, thenknown as All American Aviation, started operations back in1939, delivering airmail to small western Pennsylvania and OhioValley communities. Ten years later, the airline was renamed AllAmerican Airways and made the transition from airmail to pas-senger service, operating a Douglas DC-3. All American Airwaysthen started to boom and quickly grew into Allegheny Airways,US Air and finally US Airways after several buyouts and merg-ers. For 20 years now, US Airways has been relying on the ex-pertise of MTU Maintenance.

By Nicole Geffert

rofessional, trusting and dependable—ChristophHeck, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, theAmericas at MTU Maintenance Hannover does not

have to think twice when asked to describe the collabo-ration with US Airways. The airline has been a customerof MTU Maintenance since 1993. At that time, it placeda contract for the maintenance of its V2500 engines—anagreement which will continue to run for some time. In2011, MTU Maintenance won another contract from USAirways, covering MRO services for the airline’s GeneralElectric CF6-80s. “To date, we have repaired over 300 USAirways engines in our shop,” says Heck.

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The world’s biggestAirbus fleetSince its merger with America West Airlines in September 2005, US Airways hasbeen the fifth biggest airline in the United States. Along with US Airways Shuttleand US Airways Express, two wholly-owned subsidiaries, the airline operatesover 3,200 flights a day to 203 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe,the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central and South America (as of summer2013). It employs a staff of around 33,000 aviation professionals worldwide andoperates the world’s largest fleet of Airbus aircraft.

Together with its US Airways Express partners, US Airways carries some 80 mil-lion passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, North Carolina,Philadelphia, Phoenix und Washington D.C. The fleet serving its main routesconsists of Airbus A319, A320, A321 and A330 as well as Boeing 737, 757 and767 aircraft. US Airways Express operates 285 regional jets and turboprop air-craft.

And the company is well on track for further growth, the next milestone beingthe merger with American Airlines.

US Airways operates the largest Airbus fleet in the world.

This summer, MTU Maintenance Hannovercompleted the 1,500th overhaul of a CF6-80,an engine sent in by US Airways. Since thisshop visit also marked the 20th anniversaryof the business partnership between USAirways and MTU Maintenance, a delegationof high-level US Airways executives was morethan happy to accept MTU’s invitation to visitthe Hannover location and celebrate thisevent together. “We are very pleased to besharing this special moment with one of ourlongest-standing and closest customers,”said Dr. Stefan Weingartner, President, Com-mercial Maintenance at MTU Aero Engines.“Maintenance of the CF6-80 is one of themainstays of our business. The engine hasbeen overhauled in Hannover, MTU’s firstmaintenance location and center of excel-lence for the repair of large and medium-sized engines, for almost 25 years. We arevery confident that we will continue our suc-cess with this engine over the next years.”

“We have an excellent and very trusting co-operation with MTU Maintenance,” stressedDavid Seymour, Senior Vice President, Tech-

A CF6-80 engine on the flowline at MTU Maintenance Hannover.

US Airways sends the CF34-10E6 engines that power its fleet of Embraer E190s to MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg for overhaul.


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nical Operations at US Airways. “I am lookingforward to further extending our partnershipunder the flag of the new American Airlines,after the merger has been realized betweenUS Airways and American Airlines.” The com-bined airline has placed firm orders for 600new aircraft, which it claims will lead it tohave one of the most modern and efficientfleets in the industry and is a good basis forfurther investments in technologies, productsand services. The new American Airlines willoffer more than 6,700 flights a day to 336destinations in 56 countries, and will main-tain all hubs currently served by AmericanAirlines and US Airways to be able to providecustomers with an even more extensive rangeof travel options.

“The visit from US Airways is a clear indica-tion that both parties are interested in con-tinuing the collaboration,” says Heck. Thelong-term partnership was given furtherimpetus by a five-year contract for the main-tenance of US Airways’ CF34-10E6 engines.This contract was signed by the two compa-nies this summer and marks a new chapter ina story of successful cooperation. Up to 44engines powering the airline’s Embraer E190fleet will be maintained and repaired at MTUMaintenance Berlin-Brandenburg, which in2002 was the first independent provider ofmaintenance services in the world to obtaina license for the repair and overhaul ofGeneral Electric’s CF34 series. The Ludwigs-felde facility is an authorized GE-CF34™service provider and the first maintenanceorganization within this worldwide networkto support and maintain all three models ofthe engine: the CF34-3, CF34-8 and CF34-10.“US Airways is a long-standing, loyal MTUMaintenance customer,” affirms AndréSinanian, MTU Maintenance Berlin-Branden-burg’s Managing Director & Senior Vice Pres-ident. “With this new CF34-10 contract we’velaid the foundations for a successful contin-uation of our business relationship.”

The high-tech repair techniques “made byMTU” guarantee first-class performance ofthe repaired parts, extending the service lifeof engines while keeping costs at an afford-able level. “Our high-tech repair processesare also used in the maintenance of V2500and CF6-80 engines,” says Norbert Möck,Director, Engine Programs at MTU Mainte-nance Hannover. “For our customer US Air-ways we have developed special, flexiblesolutions to make sure that maintenancework is carried out as cost-effectively as pos-

For additional information, contactChristoph Heck+49 511 7806-2621


sible. Such maintenance packages are avail-able, for instance for the V2500-A1 enginepowering the A320, which over many yearshas served as a faithful workhorse but is nowaging and will gradually be retired over thecoming years,” says Jay Aiken, Director,Marketing & Sales Americas at MTU Mainte-nance Hannover. During this outphasing peri-od, airlines want to make best use of theirengines’ residual service life. Möck com-ments: “In this phase, the low cost of repairsas compared with the prices of new parts

and MTU’s expertise in procuring suitableengine-run parts help airlines optimize theirmaintenance costs until to the plannedphase-out date is finally reached.”

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A transatlantic tandem

It seems like a relationship that’s here to stay: For many years now, MTU Aero Engines has beenpartnering with Pratt & Whitney Canada to build business and regional jet engines. Many suc-cesses have come out of this long-term collaboration, cases in point being the PW300 andPW500 engine families. The propulsion systems are continously being improved and upgraded,not least also thanks to MTU’s expertise. The PW300 family’s latest member is the PW306D,which features a low-pressure turbine developed by MTU.

By Silke Hansen

Martin Wiedra, Director, P&WC Programs at MTU,explains: “At 25 percent, our share in thePW306D program is higher than in any otherprogram in MTU’s commercial engine business.” For thePW306D program, too, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC)bets on Germany’s leading engine manufacturer to pro-vide the low-pressure turbine, this technology being anMTU core competency. Moreover, MTU will contributethe turbine exit case and mixer. Transport Canada CivilAviation, the Canadian regulatory authority, gave theengine its stamp of approval in June of this year. ThePW306D builds on the PW306C and has been selected topower Cessna’s New Citation Sovereign business jet,which is now being added to its successful line of Citationbusiness jets. The upgraded aircraft made its maiden

flight in April, and is slated to enter into service in 2013.Since 2004, 349 copies of its predecessor model, theCitation Sovereign powered by the PW306C, have beensold. The engine, too, features a low-pressure turbinemade by MTU.

The PW306D incorporates enhanced aerodynamics, ad-vanced materials and a modified engine control system.This gives the engine more thrust, cuts fuel burn andboosts the New Citation Sovereign’s range to 5,500 kilo-meters—convincing arguments in favor of this variant.Cessna has also selected the PW306 engine to power itsnew Citation Latitude mid-size business jet, which isexpected to enter into service in 2015.


Extended range: Cessna’s New Citation Sovereign is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D engines.

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MTU also contributes components to the new BombardierLearjet 85, which is due to go into service in 2014. The Germanengine company has a 15-percent share in the aircraft’sPW307B engine and is once again responsible for the rearpart of the engine: the low-pressure turbine, turbine exit caseand mixer. The lighter low-pressure turbine rotor helps in-crease the engine’s efficiency. “New engineering analysistools allowed our structural analysis experts to optimize thedesign and achieve a reduction in weight with no need foradditional testing,” says Klaus Pirker, MTU EngineeringRepresentative at P&WC in Canada.

“After Dassault’s Falcon 7X, the Learjet is the second aircraftapplication for the PW307,” Wiedra is pleased to report. Thebiggest Learjet ever will be the first in the Learjet family tofeature a composite structure. The all-composite aircraft isexpected to make its first flight sometime before the end ofthe year. “Manufacturers are currently working on a numberof new business jet models that will come onto the marketover the next few years,” observes Wiedra, adding that whilethe market has stabilized again following the slump in 2009,delivery volumes are still way below pre-crisis levels.

MTU has shares in three PW300-series engines—the PW305,PW306 and PW307—for a total of nine aircraft applications.The successful partnership between P&WC and MTU began

Powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engines, Bombardier’s Learjet 85 isthe largest and fastest Learjet and the first to have an all-composite airframe.

MTU contributes the low-pressure turbine to the PW300 family, as well as the exit case and mixer.

almost 30 years ago, when the two companies signed thefirst collaboration agreement for the PW305 in 1985. “We’vebuilt up a very close relationship over the years, one that isbased on mutual trust and appreciation of our technical ex-pertise. This has earned us a strong position as senior partnerin the programs,” says Pirker. In addition to its PW300 partici-pations, MTU shares in the PW530 and PW545 programs forCessna Citation jets, again with a 25 percent stake in each ofthese engines, the work shares being the same. To date, MTUhas delivered more than 5,800 PW300 and PW500 turbinemodules. “The PW300 and PW500 have an excellent reputa-tion for their outstanding reliability, and that is in no smallpart also thanks to the MTU low-pressure turbine driving thefan,” he adds. P&WC appreciates being able to rely on MTU,and this year awarded the company the Supplier Gold Awardfor the sixth consecutive year in recognition of the outstand-ing quality of its products, its on-time delivery performanceand a high level of customer satisfaction. MTU is renownedworldwide for its engineering expertise, particularly when itcomes to low-pressure turbines, its key product.

In return, the strategic partnership with P&WC has openedthe door to the business jet market for MTU. According toPirker, P&WC introduced a strong culture of teamwork andintegrated product development back in the early1990s. “Weopenly discuss technical issues and challenges in our joint

meetings, and this ultimately reflects in the quality and tech-nical maturity of our products,” he says. Pirker has beenMTU’s low-pressure turbine contact at P&WC headquartersin Longueuil, Quebec, for three years. “I spend most of mytime facilitating the collaboration between P&WC and MTUby working to bridge the 5,600-kilometer gap and six-hourtime difference separating their two engineering teams.”

This works exceptionally well, with the partners continuing toimprove the “old” PW300. “As a technology leader, we neverrest. We’re always striving to improve our core competencies,these being our low-pressure turbines, high-pressure com-pressors, manufacturing processes and repair procedures.We do so by incorporating new design features to increaseefficiency and by developing innovative materials for our high-tech components,” Wiedra says. Both partners pull togetherto achieve these aims.


For additional information, contactMartin Wiedra+49 89 1489-3354

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On-wing inspection of a PW300 engine.

A PW305 engine is being assembled at MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg in Ludwigsfelde.

“We never forget that your engine has our name on it,”is the promise that Pratt & Whitney Canada, as the orig-inal equipment manufacturer (OEM), makes to its cus-tomers. That’s why it offers a comprehensive customerservice network. MTU Maintenance is a reliable partnerin this global network. “We act as representatives forPratt & Whitney Canada as the OEM, which is proof of itsconfidence in our expertise and the quality of our serv-ices,” explains Carsten Behrens, General Manager of theP&WC Customer Service Centre Europe (CSC), a 50/50joint venture between MTU and Pratt & Whitney Canada.Founded in 1992, the CSC is based at MTU MaintenanceBerlin-Brandenburg in Ludwigsfelde, near Berlin, and isresponsible for marketing, sales and customer service inEurope, Africa and the Middle East. “We look after over

Like Swiss clockwork1,200 customers in these regions; they appreciate usbeing so close and in a similar time zone,” says Behrens.

PW300 and PW500 series engines are sent to MTUMaintenance Berlin-Brandenburg, the MTU Group’s spe-cialist for engines made by the Canadian company, fortheir shop visits. The portfolio includes the PT6A,PW200, PW300 and PW500, and MTU also has a mobilerepair team to provide on-site maintenance support.“This strong team offers a gamut of services, from repairssuch as blending of defects on blades, borescope in-spections and work on the gearbox to hot sectioninspections on wing,” explains Jan Bierkamp, Director,P&WC Programs at MTU Maintenance. Hot sectioninspections involve the replacement of high-pressure

turbine and combustion chamber components that aresubject to severe thermal stresses. The mobile repairteam is called out some 50 times a year, and is availableon stand-by 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Weadapt to perfectly suit our customers’ requirements. Toget the aircraft back in service quickly, we might onlyswap parts kits on site and then repair the parts in ourshop.”

40 to 50 PW300 and PW500 engines are sent to MTUMaintenance Berlin-Brandenburg for shop visits eachyear. “We fulfill the OEM’s every specification. The jointventure gives us direct access to technical data or up-dates, and allows us to resolve any technical questionsthat may pop up quickly,” explains Bierkamp. For him,

the small engines from Canada are truly big powerpacks. “They have a high power density and in terms ofthe utmost precision they require, they are almost com-parable to Swiss clockwork. Even the slightest change,say in the clearance, has a huge impact.” At MTU, thesesophisticated high-performance engines are in the bestpossible hands. Just as the PW306D will be in a fewyears’ time, when MTU maintenance specialists carryout the first on-site maintenance work to get it flyingagain, or when it comes in to Ludwigsfelde for its firstshop visit.


For additional information, contactJan Bierkamp+49 3378 824-796

Progressneverstops

Thanks to its efficiency and markedly reduced noise emis-sions the geared turbofan will make an important contribu-tion towards climate protection in the years to come. Butthere is still great potential for improvement: Under theEuropean Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), which isapproaching the home stretch, the successful technologywill again be substantially enhanced. Among the companiesparticipating in this mammoth project is MTU Aero Engines.Germany’s leading engine manufacturer is responsible forbuilding a demonstrator engine.

By Denis Dilba

he targets to be met by the year 2020 are clearlydefined: Aircraft are expected to emit 50 percentless carbon dioxides (CO2) and 80 percent less

oxides of nitrogen (NOx) as compared with year 2000levels. Moreover, the perceived noise level is to behalved. These are the ambitious goals laid down by theAdvisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (orACARE for short) in its Strategic Research Agenda. Dr.Joachim Wulf, Chief Engineer, Technology Demonstra-tors at MTU in Munich, is well aware of the big chal-lenges ahead. After all, he is already working on thetechnologies for the next-generation Geared Turbofan(GTF), while his colleagues are still celebrating the bigsuccess of the current generation of this engine type:The GTF burns an impressive 15 percent less fuel and isonly half as loud as conventional engines.

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“Of course, we’re more than pleased that the GTF has become sopopular in the marketplace. In a few years’ time, it will be flying inhundreds of new narrow-body airliners, demonstrating its superiorenvironmental performance,” says Wulf. “But if we want to achieve theACARE targets we must continue working at full speed.” The develop-ment of the requisite technologies is currently being pursued withinthe framework of Clean Sky. With an overall budget of 1.6 billion euros,this joint technology initiative is the biggest research program everundertaken by the European Union. Clean Sky is aimed at developingmore efficient aviation technologies to reduce the environmentalimpact of flying. As part of the program’s “Sustainable and GreenEngines” (SAGE) platform six demonstrator engines will be built. MTUhas taken on responsibility for the SAGE 4 sub-project. Plans are tohave the demonstrator assembled and ready for testing in the firstquarter of 2015.

“We don’t have too much time left, but we are confident that we’llmeet the ambitious schedule,” explains Wulf. To this end, the teammembers put their heads together at the end of the concept phase inOctober 2012 to define the technologies actually to be developed.Since then, the specialists have been focusing on the detail design ofthe entire demonstrator engine. And the team is well on track,according to the Clean Sky chief engineer: “On July 12, the SAGE 4team passed design review 4 with flying colors and is now mid-waythrough the SAGE 4 sub-project.” But, as Wulf goes on to point out,there is no reason for the team to sit back and rest on its laurels. Thedesign of the demonstrator engine must be completed before theyear is out. In other words, all components must be released for pro-duction by that time. Comments Wulf: “We’re having rather busytimes ahead of us.”

The first component prototypes have already arrived in Munich. Justlike many of the modified engine parts that will follow in the first quar-ter of 2014, these prototypes “will be put through their paces in com-ponents tests,” explains Module Team Manager Dr. Stefan Busam.Testing serves to demonstrate that the new components performexactly as predicted. For the purpose, the modified engine parts areprovided with a variety of sensors that measure, for instance, thetemperature and pressure distribution under simulated load condi-tions. They also permit the engineers to analyze the behavior of theparts when subjected to vibrations at different frequencies. “By mid-2014, component testing will be completed,” says Busam.

If all tests are successfully passed the components can be installed.The experts in Munich will assemble and instrument MTU’s high-speed low-pressure turbine and the turbine exit casing developed byBritish-Swedish GKN Aerospace, another partner in the Clean Sky ini-

tiative. Then the test engine can be fully assembled and installed inthe test cell. “Testing is slated to begin in April 2015,” according toBusam.

One thing is for certain already at this stage: The engine built for theSAGE 4 sub-project is lighter than any of its predecessors. In the high-pressure compressor, for example, new seals made from carbon-fiberreinforced plastic (CFRP) will replace the previously used titaniumparts. Wulf: “These CFRP seals weigh less than their counterparts inthe rare metal titanium and are less expensive.”

Further savings in weight will be achieved by the use of componentsmade by additive manufacturing processes, such as inner rings withintegrated honeycomb seals for the high-pressure compressor. These

New materials: Insulation segments made of ceramic matrix composites (CMC).

Rub-in test: A seal carrier is subjected to abrasive testing.

36 37

parts are built up from a metal powder bed using the selective lasermelting (SLM) technique. “Additive manufacturing makes productionmuch easier and provides engineers with substantially greater free-dom of design. We no longer need to mill parts from the solid, whichsaves a considerable amount of material. What’s more, the compo-nents weigh much less,” explains MTU engineer Wulf. In addition,these new manufacturing processes are much faster. Previously, threeto four suppliers used to be involved in the production of the innerrings: One of them produced the inner rings and another the honey-combs. A third supplier did the brazing of the two constituent parts.Much time was also lost on transportation between the individual pro-duction sites. “Additive manufacturing involves but a single work stepand production proper is completed virtually overnight,” says Wulf.

Another innovative technology, which likewise helps reduce the weightof the geared turbofan, will make its debut in the low-pressure turbineof the SAGE 4 demonstrator. Normally, the airfoils of the individualturbine stages must be of a particularly rigid design to prevent themfrom vibrating as they are exposed to the hot gases flowing betweenthem at high velocities. But the good vibration-resistance propertiescome at a price: The airfoils weigh more. The newly developed airfoilswith integrated vibration damping are capable of withstanding thecritical frequencies occurring in operation without suffering damage.“The airfoils are lighter and leaner. This affords aerodynamic advan-tages that have a positive effect on the overall efficiency of theengine,” explains Wulf.

To further increase the efficiency of the next-generation geared turbo-fans MTU’s air system specialists and design engineers are currently

working to optimize the use of cooling air in the low-pressure turbine.“We can reduce the amount of cooling air required by routing the airprecisely to those areas where it is actually needed,“ says the CleanSky Chief Engineer. And since the cooling air is part of total air flowto be compressed further upstream in the engine, less cooling airsaves energy, and the engine can produce more thrust as a result.The reduction of noise continues to be a topic featuring high on theengineers’ agenda. In a first, acoustic damping liners will be used onthe turbine exit casing built by SAGE 4 partner GKN Aerospace. Suchliners, which attenuate the propagation of certain frequencies, havealready proved their worth in the bypass duct upstream and down-stream of the fan. For use in the hot engine section they had to bemodified to make them resistant to elevated temperatures.

“With the technologies we are developing for SAGE 4 we want toreduce the engine’s fuel burn by around three percent as comparedwith current geared turbofans. Our long-term goal is a five- to eight-percent reduction,” explains Wulf. Such a reduction would be a majorstep forward: “Although today’s engines achieve extremely high effi-ciencies each additional tenth of a percent makes a whole lot of a dif-ference, helping cut down on fuel burn and hence reduce CO2 emis-sions.” According to Wulf, the new SAGE 4 technologies might bemature for use in production engines by 2020.

“Under Clean Sky we’re not only facing challenges of a technicalnature. What’s equally important is the smooth organization of a proj-ect of this order of magnitude,” explains Peter Taferner, Clean SkyProgram Manager at MTU. The Clean Sky JTI is a unique public-privatepartnership, its 1.6-billion-euro budget being equally shared betweenindustry and research on the one hand and the European Commis-sion on the other. The various project activities, which span the whole

gamut of game-changing aircraft, engine, system and eco-design con-cepts, are coordinated by the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking (CSJU)especially set up for the purpose.

“Our associates in the SAGE 4 sub-project with a total volume ofaround 68 million euros are the British-Swedish GKN Aerospace groupand Italian engine manufacturer Avio Aero. Other partners include anumber of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), researchinstitutions as well as universities,” explains Taferner. These partnershad been invited to participate in SAGE 4 via open Calls for Proposals(CfP). They work on specific, directly funded SAGE 4 developmenttasks defined by MTU and its associates for a limited period of time.The European Commission encourages the participation of SMEs andresearch institutions in the development of aviation technologies, theaim being to strengthen their international competitiveness. “Thepartners develop their own technologies, thus gaining a competitiveedge for the future, and SAGE 4 benefits from the highly advancedcomponents provided by the partners,” according to Taferner.

A budget of around 15 million euros has been allocated to the SAGE4 sub-project for such development orders. “Our CfP budget has beenfully exhausted by now. We were looking for development partnerswho are ready to also invest their own money in tasks defined byMTU, GKN Aerospace or Avio Aero, the aim being a technical solutionthat creates a win-win situation for MTU and the partners alike,” says


Taferner. Contracts for MTU’s last three CfP projects are currentlybeing drawn up. They cover the maturing of a stable production pro-cess for a new turbine casing material, the development of a lessexpensive alloy for engine rotors and the improvement of the manu-facturing process for single-crystal blades in nickel-base alloys.

“By next year, important technologies developed for the demonstratorunder CfP arrangements must have achieved an appropriate level ofmaturity, and integration into the demonstrator must have been com-pleted to a large extent to allow them to be successfully validated inthe SAGE 4 engine tests,” explains Taferner. “We’re now approachingthe home stretch of Clean Sky and as far as we can tell today theoverall Clean Sky program and our SAGE 4 sub-project will be a bigsuccess.” The European aviation industry, therefore, would definitelywelcome a Clean Sky successor program. Preparations are currentlyunderway for Clean Sky 2, which might be integrated in Horizon2020, the EU’s upcoming Framework Program for Research andInnovation. Taferner believes that a decision will be made before thenext year is out. “If the project goes forward we’ll of course be inagain.”

For additional information, contactDr. Joachim Wulf+49 89 1489-3381

New manufacturing method: SLM seal carrier.

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Four-point bending test: An SLM seal carrier is subjected to vibration resistance testing.


Efficient andpowerful

Tomorrow’s engines will need innovative control systems and in-creased electric power, to name but two of the requirements to bemet by next-generation propulsion systems. In the development of therequisite technologies, MTU is relying on a tried and tested approach:The company has been maintaining a close cooperation with theUniversität der Bundeswehr München (University of the Federal ArmedForces in Munich) for several decades. The most recent success tocome out of this collaboration is MexJET, an engine test vehicle basedon the EJ200 engine powering the Eurofighter Typhoon and used tovalidate an entirely new control concept.

By Christiane Rodenbücher/Martina Vollmuth

hen Dr. Jörg Henne, Senior Vice President, En-gineering and Technology at MTU, attended a cele-bratory event held by the Universität der Bundes-

wehr München (UniBw) in Neubiberg, south-east of Munich,he explained: “The MexJET test vehicle, which has meanwhilesuccessfully entered into operation, provides an outstandingbasis for highly promising technology developments in thefields of More Electric Engine and innovative control concepts.It is the only experimental platform of its kind in Germany.”He expressed his belief that “the technological developmentsunderway will lead to significant increases in operationalsafety and cost efficiency, and a reduction in life cycle costs.”On the occasion of the official commissioning of MexJET(More electric experimental Jet Engine Test vehicle) in spring2013, Professor Dr. Reinhard Niehuis, Head of the Institute ofJet Propulsion (ISA) at UniBw, lauded the joint project as“particularly efficient and powerful”, referring not only to thetechnologies involved, but also to the cooperative partner-ship between MTU and UniBw.

W

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Universität der Bundeswehr München in Neubiberg.

Engine testing facility of the Universität der Bundeswehr München’s Institute of Jet Propulsion.

The close-knit research alliance between UniBw and Germany’s lead-ing engine manufacturer has existed for decades. Construction of anengine test facility for educational purposes began just a year afterUniBw was founded in 1973. Joint research and teaching commencedfollowing the setting up of the Institute of Jet Propulsion in 1980, withthe activities focused on the future requirements of aircraft enginesystems from the outset. Flight systems of the future will requiremore electric power, which in turn places higher demands on aircraftoperating behavior and generator efficiency. This is why MTU andUniBw decided to launch a joint More Electric Engine (MEE) center ofcompetence in 2007, aimed at pooling their activities and at promot-ing research into various aspects of electrical and electronic systems.Front and center in the cooperative effort is the integration of new,more efficient electrical system components, such as the starter gen-erator, and components of the oil and fuel systems.

The development and integration of new control systems is also play-ing an increasingly central role. Under the Advanced Control Systemand Model-based Control projects, next-generation control conceptswere defined and validated using the MexJET test vehicle. For the firsttime, a direct thrust control system was developed that will allowengine performance and fuel consumption to be further optimized.The new control concept offers a number of additional advantages: Itimproves continuous on-board monitoring of engine operating condi-tions and facilitates fault detection and isolation checks, which in-creases engine reliability. As the control system reduces the engine’sfuel burn it also helps bring down life cycle costs. All these improve-ments are made possible thanks to a modification of the engine con-trol software. “Test results already confirm the potential benefitsafforded by this new control concept,” sums up Dr. Gerhard Kahl,Senior Manager, Compressor Technology at MTU in Munich.

To validate these research concepts, UniBw and MTU are using theMexJET test vehicle, which bases on the EJ200 engine for theEurofighter Typhoon, one of the most advanced jet engines in theworld, and features special equipment for the tests to be carried outin Neubiberg. The test vehicle’s first run at UniBw took place in lateNovember 2011 and was followed by a comprehensive series of tests

that were successfully completed in time for the official commission-ing in March this year. “It was indeed a big challenge for the entireteam to install the EJ200 engine in the test stand. After all, the testvehicle’s thrust and flow rate are significantly higher than on all pre-ceding models,” explains Kahl. But the outcome of the first tests wasworth all the effort.

MexJET also is a fine example of the benefit that can be derived fromclose collaboration between MTU and various departments of theGerman Ministry of Defense. “Funding of defense technology devel-opments is very important to MTU,” explains Dr. Gerhard Ebenhoch,Director, Technology Management at MTU. “We use it for pre-compet-itive technology development, which also benefits the commercialarea. Through our work in this field, we are able to identify potentialsfor improvement in engines currently in service. What’s more, usingour military customer’s existing facilities and infrastructure allows usto increase the leverage of defense development programs.” The var-ious activities underway in this field at present go to show that mili-tary development funding is an indispensable and efficient way togreatly help strengthen Germany’s position as a high-tech country.

“The collaboration with MTU is something we value very highly,”states Niehuis and enumerates a series of cooperation projects thatinclude the MexDemo project funded by the state of Bavaria, and inparticular the varied joint research activities at the high-speed cas-cade wind tunnel in Neubiberg. “This alliance, which is the only of itskind in Germany, provides us with an excellent opportunity to con-duct research work into cutting-edge technologies and to launch newinitiatives,” Niehuis says. “A major project we’re currently working onis the joint development of novel airfoils for low-pressure turbinesintended for geared turbofan applications.”

For additional information, contactDr. Gerhard Kahl+49 89 1489--6149

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Products + Services

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Engines under stressMTU Aero Engines has great expectations of the PurePower®

PW1000G engine, and rightfully so: The highly efficient Geared Turbo-fan™ engine sold extremely well at this year’s Paris Air Show. It hasbeen selected to power the Airbus A320neo, the Bombardier CSeries,the MRJ Mitsubishi Regional Jet, the Irkut MS-21, and the new gener-ation of Embraer E-Jets in future. To ensure safe flight operations oncethe engine has entered into service, it is put through its paces in acomprehensive test program. Some of the testing is conducted atMTU’s test facilities in Munich.

By Bernd Bundschu

Kurt Scheidt, Senior Manager, Engine and Flight Test atMTU, explains: “Before an engine can go into produc-tion, it has to undergo between 3,000 and 5,000 hoursof testing. The PW1000G has now been in this test phase fora year and a half.” MTU’s stake in Pratt & Whitney’s gearedturbofan program varies between 15 and 18 percent, depend-ing on the engine version. The workshare of Germany’s lead-ing engine manufacturer includes the high-speed low-pressureturbine, one of the key components of this engine. In thespring of this year, the company received two German inno-vation awards for its highly advanced turbine. MTU is the onlymanufacturer worldwide to offer this technology. “We havealready conducted two series of stress tests on the low-pres-sure turbine for the PW1100G-JM, the version destined forthe A320neo, at our facility in Munich,” reports ChristianSteffen, who heads up the test activities for commercial andmilitary programs at MTU. “Further tests in our large devel-opment test cell III are planned for the end of this year;preparations are already underway.”

Products + Services

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Stress tests are highly complex and a majorelement of the flight certification process.Their purpose is to ensure that an enginemodule or entire engine is capable of with-standing the stresses it must sustain to meetthe certification requirements, such as highspeeds and temperatures, or meeting contin-uous operation requirements, without diffi-culty. “Measurements of the stresses andtemperatures acting on the components pro-vide us with vital information that allows usto determine their stress limits,” says Steffen.To obtain this data, it is necessary to fit sen-

MTU Aero Engines in Munich for the first time performed lightning strike tests on a V2500 engine.

Power turbine stress tests on the GE38 test engine took place in the turboshafttest cell at MTU in Munich.

sors at as many as 2,000 measuring points.Steffen: “Given the limited space inside theengine and the minute size of the sensors,this is a task that requires utmost precision.The most challenging tests are those involv-ing remote measurements on rotating parts.”

Remote measurement or telemetry is a tech-nique in which measurement data is cap-tured by a sensor and transmitted to a distantrecording point. MTU has developed its ownsystems for this highly sophisticated measur-ing method. Miniature strain gages are at-tached to specific areas of blades and disks.They consist of thin strips of metal connected

to a power source. As the component ex-pands during engine operation as a result ofheat or centrifugal forces, the strain gageexpands as well, causing its electrical resist-ance to change—even if the deformation is assmall as a thousandth of a millimeter. The re-corded data is then transmitted via a wirelessconnection to the computer and evaluated.

MTU has many years of experience in thetesting of commercial and military aircraftengines. As Scheidt points out, stress testsare not the only type of tests that can beconducted at MTU’s test facilities: “We’re alsoable to carry out any type of test required for

MTU Aero Engines has various high-performance ground test facilities config-ured for different purposes. At its Munich headquarters, the company oper-ates four test cells for turbojet engines and one for turboshaft engines, pluscomponent test rigs. Additional test facilities for turbojet and turboshaftengines are operated by MTU Maintenance at its various locations in Germanyand abroad. For high-altitude tests, MTU has access to Stuttgart University’shigh-altitude test facility.

The engineers use these facilities to test turbojets with a thrust of up to 400kilonewtons, such as the GP7000 for the Airbus A380 and the EJ200 engine

MTU’s high-tech test facilities

For additional information, contactKurt Scheidt+49 89 1489-3963


engine certification, including performanceand system testing, endurance testing, vibra-tion tests, emission measurements, simula-tion of hot-day conditions, bird-strike tests,destructive testing, ice, water and sandingestion tests to simulate extreme weatherconditions, and high-altitude testing.” Sandingestion tests are currently underway inMunich on a GE38 turboshaft engine for theSikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift transport heli-copter. The purpose of these tests is to dem-onstrate the engine’s enhanced resistance toerosion by airborne sand particles.

In a first for MTU’s test facilities in Munich,lightning strike tests on a V2500 engine forthe Embraer KC-390 military transport arebeing conducted by a specialized U.S. com-pany. The tests began in August. “The enginecasing is exposed to defined high-voltagespikes and their effect on the engine controlsystem is analyzed,” explains TechnicalProgram Manager Werner Striegl, who atMTU is responsible for the V2500 and otherengine programs. Another V2500 is currentlybeing used by the MTU test engineers as aplatform for trials on behalf of a customer:“We are testing a next-generation lubricantunder extreme operating conditions such aselevated oil temperature or reduced oil pres-sure,” says Striegl. “If all components of theengine are still in perfect working order atthe end of the tests, the new lubricant can beapproved for use.”

As engine performance requirements contin-ue to increase, so do the demands on testequipment and methods. “For example, as aresult of the trend toward ever-largerengines, most of the tests we previously car-ried out at the high-altitude test facility arenow conducted during flight tests,” saysScheidt. “At the same time, we are continu-ally investing in measures to enhance theperformance and measurement capabilitiesof our test facilities and improve their noiseinsulation. By constantly updating our facili-ties in this way, we keep abreast of the latesttechnological developments.”

for the Eurofighter Typhoon, and for testing turboshaft engines with an outputof up to 15 megawatts powering helicopters and propeller aircraft, such as theSikorsky CH-53K (GE38) or the Airbus A400M military transport (TP400-D6).The full range of tests required for engine certification can be carried out atthese facilities, including structural, load, and reliability tests, ingestion tests,and destructive testing. Tests are conducted on individual components, as-semblies and modules, as well as on complete engines for commercial andmilitary applications.

The majority of these tests form part of contractual agreements with MTU’sOEM partners, including Pratt & Whitney, General Electric and Rolls-Royce, orthe International Aero Engines (IAE) consortium. Other tests are performed onbehalf of external customers.

Global

Power ratherthan thrust

Industrial gas turbines (IGTs) are rugged and reliable, rapidlyramp up to their rated power and withstand repeated start/stop cycles even in a single day. One such IGT is the GeneralElectric LM6000, of which more than1,000 copies have beensold worldwide. To ensure that this success story continues,MTU Aero Engines’ specialists have been developing en-hanced protective coatings. In the program, MTU has workedon the René 104 alloy for the first time. These efforts havehelped increase the performance of the 50-megawatt IGTand reduce its emissions.

By Daniel Hautmann

Many industrial gas turbines are aeroderivativesdesigned for stationary applications. They areused in a multitude of ways. Combined with apower generator, they produce power for land-based elec-tricity consumption and off-shore use on oil rigs. They alsosupply the mechanical energy needed to operate pumpsand compressors to transport petroleum and natural gasthrough pipelines. One of the most popular IGTs is theGeneral Electric LM6000, a derivative of the CF6-80 en-gine. The first LM6000 began commercial operation 20years ago. To date, the LM6000 has achieved more than26 million operating hours, with more than 1,000 unitsshipped to customers globally; four times more experi-ence has been gained with this IGT than with all othercompeting gas turbines in the 60-megawatt class com-bined.

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Global

Germany’s leading engine manufacturer is a risk-and-rev-enue-sharing partner in the LM6000 program. “MTU’s mainline of business are aircraft engines,” says Uwe Kaltwasser,Director, Sales and Customer Support, Industrial Gas Turbinesat MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg in Ludwigsfelde.“Aeroderivative gas turbines are often subjected to higherloads than their aero engine cousins, because they arerequired to operate continuously at full load,” Kaltwasserpoints out. Florian Brecht, Senior Manager, Operations,CF6/LM explains: “GE wanted to leverage its existing CF6technology and use it for a wider range of applications, justlike its competitors.” MTU essentially contributes componentsfor the high-pressure turbine, such as internally-cooled rotorblades and stator vanes, seal rings and disks.

The stationary gas turbines differ from aeronautical designsin several respects: “Aircraft engines are provided with alarge fan at the front that generates much of the thrust,”explains Kai Philippeit, Configuration Management, CF6/LMPrograms. “By contrast industrial gas turbines don’t have afan and rely primarily on the rotational energy. The thrust pro-duced is negligible, but the exhaust energy can be used foradditional purposes. Otherwise they work in the same way asa jet engine.” One of the most significant and immediatelyobvious differences is that IGTs have large flanges on theunderside allowing them to be securely fixed to a base plate.The customer market structures for the two types of productare fundamentally different: Whereas airlines often orderhundreds of engines of the same configuration, individual IGTcustomers tend to buy only one unit. “In this respect, the IGTand aero-engine markets are worlds apart,” commentsBrecht.

The highly successful LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine isnow available in two new versions: the LM6000-PG with sin-gle annular combustor (SAC) and its dry low emissions (DLE)equivalent, the LM6000-PH. In the PH version, the injectionnozzles are optimally arranged in multiple levels to providefor more efficient combustion. GE markets both products asGrowth versions, in reference to their enhanced perform-ance. Steve Carey, Director Revenue Sharing Programs at GE:“The LM6000-PG/PH program is now in full production, in-cluding delivery of the first LM6000-PH gas turbines for ourlaunch customer. MTU is a significant participant in the pro-gram, and has successfully manufactured their componentsto specification, given their complex geometry, with new alloysand coatings, compared with previous LM6000 components.”

Compared with their predecessors, the two enhanced ver-sions offer a simple-cycle power increase of up to 25 percentand an 18-percent boost in exhaust energy for combined-cycle and cogeneration applications, with efficiency rangingup to 54 percent. Among the outstanding operational fea-tures are fast starts: The gas turbines reach full power in justfive minutes, operate at 80 percent of their full load withinten minutes and at full load within 40 minutes. To achievethis level of performance, GE partner MTU had to meet some

exacting requirements. The stage 2 high-pressure turbineblades and vanes, which are manufactured by MTU in Munich,are provided with a new coating that increases their thermalresistance by up to 80 degrees Celsius. This extends theirservice life, or allows them to operate at higher loads.So how do these improvements come about? “Basically we’re

LM6000-PH

Ceramic Coating Center in France specializes in ceramic coatings.

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using techniques that we adopted in the manufacture of air-craft engines some time ago,” says Philippeit. “In this case,we apply a zirconium oxide coating by vapor deposition.” Thefull name of the technique is Electron Beam Physical VaporDeposition (EBPVD). The process is carried out at CeramicCoating Center (CCC), a joint venture of MTU and Snecma,and has been used to coat stage 1 high-pressure turbineblades and vanes for some time. Over a period of roughlyeighteen months, the process has been adapted to suit thedemands of the more complex geometry of stage 2 bladesand vanes. “The trickiest thing were the motion parameters inthe coating chamber,” explains Philippeit. “It’s essential thatthe translational and rotational movements of the part areprecisely controlled, to ensure that the vaporized particlesare deposited to form a ceramic film of the desired thicknesson all areas of the part,” says Brecht, explaining the details ofthis particular challenge.

Another challenge for the production engineers in Munich waslearning how to machine René 104, an innovative powdermetal used in the production of the disks and seals. “We hadnever had to deal with a material that was so difficult tomachine,” reports Philippeit. “René 104 is a GE material. Wedon’t know its precise composition—in a sense, it’s a black

For additional information, contactFlorian Brecht+49 89 1489-2409

box for us.” Nonetheless, the MTU experts successfully devel-oped manufacturing processes and tools that met GE’s de-manding requirements, in particular lathes and broaches forproducing the inner splines. Philippeit: “We are the produc-tion responsible partner and so it’s our job to check whichparts are to be produced using which processes. And thatcan sometimes be a real brain-teaser.”

“GE was quite impressed by the quality of our solutions andprocesses,” says Brecht proudly. MTU was ably assisted byexperts from RWTH Aachen University, who helped establishsuitable tool parameters. Brecht is aware, though, that it willbe difficult to enhance performance further, because the lim-its have already been reached for the majority of geometriesand materials. But then again, the experts on either side ofthe Atlantic no doubt still have a few new ideas up theirsleeves that will allow efficiency to be be boosted beyondtoday’s limits.

Global

In the LM6000 program MTU is responsible for manufac-turing key components and for providing maintenanceand package services for this industrial gas turbine (IGT).

Maintenance of the heavyweights is handled by MTUMaintenance Berlin-Brandenburg in Ludwigsfelde, MTU’scenter of excellence for industrial gas turbines. Since1995, the company, a GE-authorized service provider forLM2500, LM5000 and LM6000 gas turbines, manages allof MTU’s IGT activities. The MTU

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