Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group has completed the expansion of its Nagasaki Plant, an aero engine component factory located on the premises of MHI’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works (Akunoura-cho, Nagasaki). This is the expansion of first building of MHIAEL Nagasaki Plant which is under operation now and the newly expanded facility with sequentially added equipment will allow MHI to meet the growing demand for the engine components produced at this plant for short and medium range commercial aircraft. In addition, the introduction of Japan’s first thermal barrier coating equipment for mass production of aero engine parts will strengthen production capabilities, differentiate manufacturing technologies and enhance cost competitiveness.
For this expansion project, a second structure was constructed adjacent to the north and east sides of the existing facility, more than doubling the size of the plant building, to 11,000 m2 from the previous level of 5,400 m2. The expanded facility will also accommodate some of the manufacturing processes that are currently outsourced to overseas suppliers, allowing for fully integrated production of combustors, and strengthening manufacturing facilities to support significant increases in production. The existing production plant manufactures combustors for the PW1100G-JM engines that power the Airbus A320neo family. The plant started operations in November 2020, and production has gradually increased.
The MHIAEL Nagasaki Plant is a factory specialized in manufacturing combustors, which is one of core components of an aero engine, and the first full-fledged aircraft component factory in the Kyushu region. The plant has production lines able to handle fully integrated operations, from receipt of materials to machining and assembly. To achieve the high degree of precision and quality required for aero engine components, MHIAEL has introduced automation and labor-saving technologies such as cutting-edge machine tools, and automated conveyance and tool changing systems. The company also applies and utilizes IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and other technologies cultivated at its main mother factory in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, to ensure an aero engine components factory with world-class levels of productivity and efficiency.
Global air passenger demand has recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic, and is once more on a growth trajectory. Orders and sales for the Airbus A320neo in particular have grown significantly and the operations of the PW1100G-JM engines also have been increasing greatly in terms of both the number of flights and flight hours. To meet this strong demand, Airbus plans to gradually increase production of the A320neo, and the demand for combustor parts and after-sales service for the PW1100G-JM is expected to double in the coming years.
MHI Group, in anticipation of an increase in long-term demand for commercial aero engines worldwide, is expanding its business and production capabilities for aero engines, and this factory expansion is a part of such efforts. The group is also actively working to bolster its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business for commercial aero engines, and is steadily expanding its MRO capacity at MHIAEL’s main site in Komaki.
Going forward, MHI will work in close cooperation with MHIAEL to enhance technological capabilities and reliability for the development, manufacture, and after-sales service of aero engines, as well as expand production capabilities, and contribute to the advancement of Japan’s aviation industry and decarbonization in the sky.
About MHI Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.
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