Fly over the terrain

1/2011

Customers + Partners Products + Services

A tradition and a future

Poised for successMTU Aero Engines Holding AGDachauer Straße 66580995 Munich • GermanyTel. +49 89 1489-0Fax +49 89 1489-5500info@mtu.dewww.mtu.de

Technology + Science

Layer by layer

The A320neo will cut fuel burn by as much as 15 percent and carbondioxide emission by 3,600 metric tons per year. At the same time, itspayload will be increased or its range extended. The airliner owes thisimpressive performance boost first and foremost to its new engines.Page 6

Poised for success

Fly over the terrain

Germany, China and Canada are just three of the countries in whichMTU Maintenance operates shops. Now that the company has opti-mized its commercial repair operations each customer has one con-tact to take care of all its repair needs – no matter where the work iscarried out. Page 30

One face to the customer

Germany’s leading engine manufacturer is using additive processesto manufacture prototypes. The company plans to mature these pro-cesses for use also in production. The advantages: shorter process-ing times, sped-up innovation cycles and lower development cost. Page 20

Layer by layerFast and unique, the U.S. Navy’s air cushion vehicles are used to bringmen and equipment from ship to land whenever dock facilities or har-bors do not exist. Now they are about to be replaced. MTU’s affiliateVericor intends to supply the gas turbines for the new craft.Page 16

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Customers + PartnersBrazil’s top performerFly over the terrain

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Technology + ScienceLayer by layerDon’t touch, just look

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Products + ServicesOne face to the customerA tradition and a future

GlobalA resounding success in the MiddleKingdom

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40 – 43ReportEurope’s biggest flying laboratory

In Brief Masthead

Contents

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MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg is MTU’s center of excellencefor industrial turbines and small and medium-sized Pratt & WhitneyCanada engines. This year, the company celebrates 75 years of engineconstruction in Ludwigsfelde and 20 years of affiliation to the MTUgroup.Page 32

A tradition and a future

Cover Story Poised for success

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Editorial

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Dear Readers:

Whenever a new engine is launched, one of the most pressing questions—that is, one of the most important strategically—is how quickly that engine canestablish itself in the market. In this regard, the almost instant success of thePW1000G geared turbofan is really remarkable. Bombardier has selected theengine to provide exclusive power for the CSeries, Mitsubishi for the MRJ, andIrkut for the MS-21. In all, we are talking about several thousand aircraft here.And the big breakthrough came at the beginning of the year, when Airbusdecided to upgrade its best-selling A320 and give it new engines. Again, thePW1000G was chosen as one of the engine options.

The A320neo is believed by industry experts to have a market potential of4,000 units. This estimate is borne out by the first wave of orders received,one of the customers being the renowned German flag airline Lufthansa.Assuming around half of these aircraft are ordered with PW1000Gs, thatwould translate into sales of up to 12 billion euros for MTU in new and MRObusiness, taken over the entire life of the engines. The size of this figure givesa good idea of just how important the geared turbofan is to our company. Itwill become our most important commercial program.

One might be tempted to infer from this success that our best-selling enginecurrently, IAE’s V2500, has served its time. But I don’t see things that way;the V2500 is a highly advanced engine that will continue to do extremely wellin the market in coming years. After all, a very large number of aircraft are onorder and have yet to be delivered. The V2500 will still be flying for decadesto come, be sent to MTU for shop visits, and remain a key program in our port-folio. Our partners in the IAE consortium share MTU’s opinion, which is whywe have chosen to extend our cooperation agreement until 2045. At thesame time, we have decided to bring an even more fuel-efficient upgradeoption to market, the V2500 SelectTwo. Both of these moves go to show thatwe stand four-square behind IAE and its engine.

The development and launch of the geared turbofan is a textbook example ofhow to transition seamlessly from one successful program to the next. This ishow an engine company needs to work if it wants to be successful over thelong term and play within the industry’s big league. And what’s even more:The PW1000G is not only the first in a new line of engines. It marks the begin-ning of a whole new generation of engines. Through its focused commitment,MTU has proved once again its keen sense of which technologies have thepotential of meeting the needs of tomorrow’s markets.

Sincerely yours,

Egon BehleChief Executive Officer

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Cover Story

Poised forsuccess

By Patrick Hoeveler

A smart move by Airbus: The aircraft manufacturer is tobring out an upgraded A320 for around a tenth of the costof developing a new model from scratch. The A320neowill deliver fuel savings of up to 15 percent, representingup to 3,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide saved per air-craft per year; simultaneously, its payload will be in-creased by up to two metric tons, or its range extendedby 950 kilometers. It is first and foremost the airliner’snew engines that give it such an impressive performanceboost. A true marvel of economy, the A320neo is puttingpressure on its competitors.

fter much deliberation, the European aircraftmanufacturer finally gave the green light forthe launch of its A320neo on December 1,

2010. In view of developments in the market, Airbushad to decide whether to modify its best-sellingmedium-haul A320 aircraft or start from scratch withan all-new model. Said John Leahy, Chief OperatingOfficer, Customers: “15 percent fuel burn reduction,1,400,000 liters saved per airplane per year. If youcould do it—and we can, technologically—why wouldnot you?” But that was not the only powerful argu-ment in favor of a re-engined version. New aircrafttypes equipped with new engines, for example theBombardier CSeries and the Irkut MS-21, are enter-ing the market and increase competition. What ismore, Airbus is certain that the technologies neededfor an entirely new model will not be ready before thesecond half of the next decade.

Geared turbofan with open casing.

Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders put the concept ina nutshell: “We are leveraging a reliable, mature aircraftand are making it even more efficient and environmental-ly friendly.” Here are some quick facts: To date, the A320family has accumulated more than 50 million flight hours,with a 99.7 percent reliability. According to Airbus, theA320neo family will have 95 percent airframe common-ality with the standard A320 family, which reduces thedevelopment risk. The main modifications are to thewings, strengthening them to accommodate the largerengines, and new engine pylons for each of the differentmodels. The fuselage remains unchanged.

The A320neo family of aircraft (neo stands for new engineoption) will also incorporate fuel-saving large wing tipdevices called Sharklets. According to Airbus, these en-hanced winglets are expected to result in at least 3.5 per-cent lower fuel burn over longer sectors. They will addi-tionally be available also for standard A320 aircraft fromthe end of 2012 on, with Air New Zealand being the launchcustomer for the Sharklets. The A320neo is not intendedto replace the current best-seller, which has sold almost7,000 units in all its versions, but will rather be offeredalongside it, at a list price roughly six million euros higherthan that of the existing model range. Deliveries from theEuropean manufacturer are slated to commence in 2016.

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Cover Story

A GTF demonstrator at Pratt & Whitney’s facility.

U.S. aircraft leasing company ILFC will equip the 60 A320neos it has on order with the PW1100G.

The geared turbofan engine made its first flight on the wing of a Boeing 747SP.

It did not take long for the first sales contracts to comethrough. Airbus announced the first firm order for itsnewest airplane in January this year: Virgin America signeda firm order for 30 A320neo and 30 regular A320 air-craft, and thus becomes the first firm customer for the re-engined version. Other airlines followed Virgin’s example.

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson says: “We’redelighted to have ordered a plane that is so environmen-tally friendly. It’s something we’ve been working on, may-be even giving a little shove to the manufacturers, overthe last few years, and it’s great they’ve delivered. We’vebeen very outspoken about the need for the airline indus-try to get its act together, to become as environmentallyfriendly as possible. Airbus listened and delivered.” Alsoin January, IndiGo signed a memorandum of understand-ing for the purchase of 150 A320neos and 30 A320s.

Airbus is offering the A320neo with two engine choices—CFM International’s LEAP-X, and Pratt & Whitney’sPW1100G. The competitors vying for the contracts willbe the same as in the standard A320 program, albeit withsome changes to the cooperative arrangements. WhileCFM International is proposing the LEAP-X, which is thesuccessor to the CFM56, the rival engine is not, as previ-ously, being offered by International Aero Engines (IAE),the consortium in which Pratt & Whitney joined forceswith MTU Aero Engines, Rolls-Royce and Japanese AeroEngines Corporation to supply the power packs for theA320 family, but rather by Pratt & Whitney, in collabora-tion with its partners.

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Cover Story

Just as it did with its engines for the Bombardier CSeries andthe Mitsubishi Regional Jet, Pratt & Whitney is once againflying the flag for geared turbofan (GTF) technology with itsPW1100G, another member of the PurePower® family. Inthese engines, a gearbox with a reduction ratio of 3:1 decou-ples the fan from the low-pressure turbine, allowing the twocomponents to rotate within their optimal speed ranges.Compared with the V2500, this permits the bypass ratio tobe increased dramatically to 12:1—a critical factor in reduc-ing fuel burn. The PW1100G, which has a thrust range of107 to 147 kilonewtons, has a fan diameter of 2.06 meters.Because the fan rotates at a lower speed, it produces muchless noise.

MTU Aero Engines provides the high-speed low-pressure tur-bine for all the geared turbofan models, as well as the firstfour stages of the high-pressure compressor. “We reckon we’llhold a 15 percent share in the program,” says Dr. ChristianWinkler, Director, Business Development and GTF Programs atMTU Aero Engines, of the company’s stake in the PW1100G.

The PW1100G is based on the PW1524G, which powers theCSeries. Technical evaluation of the latter began in Septem-ber 2010, so the engineers can feed the very latest insights

and findings into the Airbus engine, which is scheduled tomake its first run in 2012. Initial results from Pratt &Whitney’s test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, are posi-tive. “We are more than satisfied,” reports Dr. Anton Binder,Senior Vice President, Commercial Programs at MTU. “Bothnoise and performance levels are meeting expectations.”

A comprehensive test program preceded the current trials:Back in 2008, a demonstrator based on a PW6000 complet-ed a total of 27 flights on an Airbus A340. This year, thepartners are set to start detailed development work on theengine that will power the A320neo. Industrial preparationswill commence in parallel, because the intention is to rampup production rates very quickly. The estimated annualrequirement for 2,000 or so integrally bladed disks for thecompressor is a challenge in itself. To date, these compo-nents—commonly referred to as blisks—have tended to beused mainly in military applications, although not in suchlarge quantities.

The new engines will be available for the A319, A320 andA321 models. It is predicted that as many as 4,000 units ofthe new aircraft family will be sold over the next 15 years.Flight testing is projected to begin in mid-2015.

PurePower®—quieter and more economical

The Munich-based company also produces the high-speed low-pressureturbine. Shown here is a turbine disk during turning.

Dimensional inspection of high-pressure compressor vanes at MTUAero Engines in Munich.

A high-speed low-pressure turbine is being instrumented for rig testingat MTU in Munich.

PurePower®: The GTF was put through its paces on Pratt & Whitney’s open-air test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam non-umy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna.

For additional information, contactDr. Anton Binder+49 89 1489-2884

For interesting multimedia services associated with thisarticle, go towww.mtu.de/111PW1000G

Still, this choice is not the death knell for IAE’s V2500. Dr.Anton Binder, Senior Vice President, Commercial Pro-grams at MTU, is quick to point out: “Customer interestremains strong, so we will still be able to sell around2,500 of these engines. The program is likely to continuefor at least another 20 years.” The V2500 is one of MTU’sbiggest and most important programs. Binder goes on:“400 engines are built each year, and this will continue tobe the case in the near future.”

The aircraft manufacturer’s decision in favor of thePW1100G is extremely important for MTU’s long-termfuture, because the company has a significant share inthe engine. “This program is the follow-on of the V2500program and, as such, vital to assuring the future. Thenarrow-body aircraft market accounts for almost half ofthe business,” says Binder. And Dr. Christian Winkler, theGerman engine manufacturer’s Director, Business Devel-opment and GTF Programs, adds: “We were successful insecuring airframe applications for the geared turbofantechnology and defending our market share. MTU’spotential related earnings are likely to run to double-digitbillions of euros.” ILFC soon decided to pick the PW1100Gto power the 60 A320neos it has committed to buy; theU.S. aircraft leasing company was the first customer toorder this airframe/engine combination.

How Boeing will respond to the A320neo remains to beseen. But one thing is clear: Because of the 737’s alreadylimited ground clearance, the aircraft would have to under-go significant modification to be able to carry the newengine with its larger-diameter fan. Airbus is confidentthat the A320neo will compete successfully even againsta clean-sheet-design aircraft by Boeing. Given that itwould use similar engine technology, any such modelwould be likely to achieve only marginally lower fuel con-sumption—and would involve far higher developmentcosts.

Airbus believes it has advantages over Bombardier’sCSeries too, despite the fact that the latter is expected toenter service as early as 2013. The A320neo boasts awider fuselage and a considerably greater range—almost2,200 kilometers more. That said, the two models are indirect competition only at the lower end of the size spec-trum, something that will, in all probability, also be re-flected in the sales figures.

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Customers + Partners

Brazil’s topperformer

From humble beginnings as an air taxi service in the hin-terland of São Paulo, Brazilian airline TAM has risen tobecome the market leader in this vast country and itsflag carrier within just a few decades. With a fascinatinghistory behind it, TAM looks forward to a future full ofpromise. In 2010, the airline’s fleet of 152 aircraft carriedover 34 million passengers. TAM now ranks among theglobal top 20 airlines in terms of passenger numbers. AndMTU Maintenance has been contributing to this successsince 1999.

“I

By Andreas Spaeth

t only took a decade from starting our first scheduled interna-tional service to joining Star Alliance in May 2010,” says TAMCEO Líbano Barroso. This rapid rise was essentially brought

about by one man: the late Rolim Amaro—the “Comandante”, as he isstill known today. In 1963, the 21-year-old Amaro joined the regionalairline Táxi Aéreo Marília, named after its home city in São Paulostate, as a pilot, and in the early 1970s he acquired half the shares inthe company that was to become TAM Linhas Aéreas.

Under Amaro’s charismatic leadership, the company experienced rapidgrowth: In 1989, the airline purchased its first jet aircraft, a couple ofFokker100s; in1998, the airline opened its first international route toMiami; and a year later, Paris became the first European destinationto feature in the flight schedule. But with Amaro’s death in a helicop-ter crash on July 8, 2001, TAM plunged into a crisis that worsenedwith the global economic downturn in the wake of the tragic eventsof September 11, 2001. It was not before 2005 that the company, inwhich the Amaro family still has a controlling share, started to developinto an intercontinental airline.

aircraft, including 140 Airbus jets. TAM operates every type of Airbusexcept for the A318 and the A380, and it also flies Boeing airliners.“In the long run, we want to operate only A350-800s and -900s aswell as 777-300ERs on our long-haul routes,” says Amparo. TAM hasalready ordered 27 A350s, and at the 2010 Berlin Air Show theBrazilian company placed another order for 20 jets from the A320family to replace older models. By 2014, TAM’s fleet is expected togrow to 165 aircraft: TAM plans to buy 32 A320 family aircraft, 22 ofwhich will be A320neos.

Also contributing to the success of this top Latin American airlinehave been MTU Maintenance’s MRO experts, who have been provid-ing service support for the IAE V2500 engines that power TAM’s fleetof A320s since 1999. “Our collaboration has intensified over time,”states Claus Herzog, MTU Maintenance’s representative in São Paulo,“and MTU is proud to have played a role in this success story.” Andcooperation is set to continue: At the end of last year, the MRO con-tract was expanded to cover substantially more engines, and its termwas extended through to 2019.

So far, 256 V2500 engines have been shipped from São Paulo to MTUMaintenance’s Hannover location for shop visits. “This is impressiveproof of how much the customer appreciates the commitment andhard work of the entire maintenance team in Hannover,” says apleased Christoph Heck, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, The

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152 aircraft are flying in the livery of TAM. Brazil’s top airline has its V2500 engines repaired and overhauled by MTU Maintenance.

MTU Maintenance Hannover uses the innovative flowline principle forengine teardown and re-assembly.

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

For further information on this article, go towww.mtu.de/111TAM

Customers + Partners

In June 2010, TAM’s Wings of a Dream Museum inSão Carlos, some 250 kilometers north-west of SãoPaulo, was re-opened after extensive renovation.Annexed to the airline’s major maintenance facility,the TAM Technology Center, it makes a world-classaircraft collection accessible to the public. The muse-um is the creation of Rolim Amaro and his youngerbrother João, who completed the work years after theComandante’s death.

“We started our aircraft collection 17 years ago withtwo Cessnas, a 140 and a 195,” says João Amaro.Today the collection’s official tally is 83. Of these, 60are now on display whilst the remainder are undergo-ing restoration in the museum’s own hangar. “Manyof our aircraft are airworthy,” says Amaro, “at least30.” Highlights among the museum’s exhibits includeLatin America’s only surviving Lockheed L-049Constellation, built in 1946, and a MesserschmittMe-109, the legendary German fighter plane from the1930s and 1940s, on loan from MTU.

Aviation treasure chest

João Amaro continues the legacy of his late brotherRolim.

Brazil is an up-and-coming nation, and its vibrant economy barely feltthe effects of the recent global economic crisis. In the booming do-mestic market, TAM has been the market leader since 2003 ahead ofbudget airline GOL. Its recipe for success: In contrast to its competi-tors, TAM has adopted a full-service carrier business model. TAM isstill mainly a domestic airline and serves 51 airports in its home coun-try spread between the Amazon and Copacabana. “Out of our 800daily flights, a total of 730 are domestic services,” says Ruy Amparo,Vice President, Operations and MRO. In its international business thecarrier serves 19 markets, 11 of which are neighboring Latin Americancountries. While in 2003 the airline was selling 20 percent of its seatcapacity on international routes, this percentage had doubled to 40percent by 2009. Since last year, the airline has been offering directflights from Rio de Janeiro to Frankfurt and London Heathrow, in addi-tion to those taking off from its São Paulo hub. The airline plans togrow still further, as Barroso explains: “We want to build up our hubin Rio before the FIFA’s World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Gamesthere in 2016.” And the outlook for the company is promising thanksto the Brazilian market’s huge potential: Of the191 million people thatlive in the world’s fifth-largest country, to date only 13 million—someseven percent—have been able to afford a plane ticket.

The strength of TAM’s growth is reflected in its employment figures.In 2001, TAM had just 7,000 staff. Compare this with the some25,000 people working for the airline today. Its fleet has grown to 152

Americas at MTU Maintenance Hannover in Langenhagen. “The rela-tionship with MTU comes from old times and has increased year afteryear,” says José Zaidan Maluf, Vice President, Supply and Contractsat TAM. “We chose MTU for their quality and flexibility aligned with itsgreat capacity and prices matching the service offering.” TAM keepsgrowing—and so does cooperation with MTU. The Brazilian star per-former’s latest coup is the proposed merger with LAN Chile, thatcountry’s biggest airline. If the tie-up comes about, the new companywill become one of the world’s top ten airlines. Comandante Rolimwould be proud.

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Customers + Partners

Fly overthe terrainThey are fast and unique. They carry 75 tons of cargofrom the hull of a ship, across the ocean, and up onto dryland. It is the LCAC (for its naval designation: LandingCraft Air Cushion). It is what the U.S. Navy uses to bringmen and equipment from ships to land where dock facil-ities or harbors do not exist. While it is designed to deliv-er a main battle tank, that load could also be 75 tons ofcars and trucks, medical supplies, pallets of food, build-ing supplies, electric power generators, anything thatmight be needed where devastation has hit and help isneeded. LCACs have been used in Indonesia, Haiti andLouisiana. Anywhere there is water and even some placeswhere there isn’t so much. They have been doing this forover 25 years and now the U.S. Navy needs a replace-ment.

T

By Tony Wilcoxson

Aero Engines’ subsidiary Vericor Power Systems inAlpharetta, Georgia, U.S. intends to supply its newTF60B engines for the SSC program. That is no sur-prise either since Vericor supplies the engines for theLCAC and knows more about hovercraft gas turbinesthan anybody. “There is no substitute for experiencein this kind of application,” says Dr. Hermann Scheu-genpflug, Vericor Chief Engineer.

The SSC, like the LCAC, is technically an air cushionvehicle or hovercraft. Hovercraft have been used forcommercial service like ferry boats for many years.Their single biggest advantage is that they literallytravel above the surface on a cushion of air.

he replacement is called the Ship-to-ShoreConnector (in short: SSC) and it is no surprisethat it looks a lot like the LCAC it replaces. MTU

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Customers + Partners

25 years in service: One of the U.S. Navy’s LCACs, which are powered by Vericor gas turbines.

The TF60B successfully completed its first test run. Sesam öffne dich: Ein LCAC gleitet durch das offene Tor des Welldeck-schiffes aufs Meer.

It doesn’t matter whether it is water or land andeven if a few obstacles are in the way; the craftis designed to go right over most of them. Thecushion of compressed air is what allows theLCAC to simply fly over the terrain. The Vericormarine gas turbines drive a system that consistsof both lift fans to pressurize the air cushion, andpropulsion propellers that actually drive the craftforward not unlike an aircraft. The power gener-ated by the four marine gas turbines is splitapproximately 30 percent to the lift fans and 70percent to the propulsion fans. In an emergencya single engine on each side can provide enoughpower to both devices to get the craft home.

The U.S. Navy first put the air-cushion landing craft (LandingCraft Air Cushion, in short: LCAC) in service in 1986. Thecraft are about 26 meters long and 14 meters wide. Theyoperate from what are called well deck ships, ships thathave a huge “garage” that opens to the ocean allowing thecraft drive in and out. The equipment is loaded onto thecraft when it is inside the ship. Trucks drive onto the craftand are secured for their journey to land. The advantage ofLCACs: They are much faster than normal landing craft andthey deliver their cargo directly to dry land. The U.S. Navyhas about 72 of these craft operating today and most arebased either on the east or west coast of the U.S.A.

Air-cushionlanding crafts

For additional information, contactDr. Hermann Scheugenpflug+1 770 569-8802

For interesting multimedia services associated withthis article, go towww.mtu.de/111Vericor

“The TF60B gas turbine is a derivative of the currentETF40B engine with higher power output in almost thesame dimensions,” says Scheugenpflug. “The goal ofthe TF60B is technically challenging, but achievablewith our 25 years of applicable field experience com-bined with MTU’s vast gas turbine design experi-ence.” The TF60B will feature improved high-temper-ature resistant materials in key areas of the flow pathand advanced aerodynamics for some of the stageswhile retaining the essential robust characteristicsrequired by this marine application. “The TF60B is es-pecially interesting to me as we are designing a marinegas turbine for a highly sand- and salt-laden environ-ment. Other operating characteristics of a hovercraftapplication are just as challenging including frequentexposure to shocks, high craft vibration levels, quickmaintenance turnaround times and so forth,” saysScheugenpflug.

For many marine applications, gas turbines derivedand slightly adapted from aircraft engines can be usedwith minimal changes. Those gas turbines live in cleanenclosures, isolated deep in ship hulls, happily breath-ing well-filtered salt-free air and generally living apampered existence. Not so for the LCAC and theSSC: engines are installed in enclosures on deck withfrequent direct exposure to the elements. Engines forthis unique application need to be specifically de-signed using an engine architecture that operatesfree of critical speeds throughout the complete oper-ating range, materials that resist corrosion under hotand cold conditions, robust component clearancesand heavy-duty installation features that not only sur-vive constant punishment through shocks, salt andsand but also assure that the craft is properly pow-ered mission after mission, day in and day out.

The TF60B will be the newest addition to Vericor’sproduct line. At the end of 2009, the TF60B prototypeengine testing began. A thorough test and develop-ment program has been continuing since with a fullqualification to the ABS Naval Vessel Rules scheduledto start in 2013.

Open Sesame: An LCAC is leaving the well deck ship.

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Technology + Science

Layer by layer

When the laser beam begins to dance in the process chamber, evenseasoned engineers can’t help but pause and watch every move inamazement. “Selective laser melting is always an exciting sight,”says Dr. Andreas Jakimov, project manager at MTU in Munich.Innovative additive processes such as this one are already beingused by Germany’s leading engine manufacturer to produce first pro-totype components. Plans are to mature them for production use inthe future.

By Denis Dilba

herever the glistening beam moves acrossit for fractions of a second, the gray metalpowder glows and melts before instantly

cooling and solidifying. Then the build platform islowered a few micrometers, to be covered withanother layer of powder, which is immediatelysmoothed over by a kind of rake. The laser beam isback in a flash, and point by point, layer by layer, acomponent comes into being—be it a holder, a cas-ing part, or a stator vane, you name it.

MTU Aero Engines has been using these kinds ofinnovative 3D additive layer manufacturing for tenyears. At the beginning, they were referred to collec-tively as rapid prototyping (RP), and almost the onlymaterial processed was plastic. Whenever a visualmodel or a new casting pattern was needed, itsdesign data would simply be fed into the RP equip-ment, which would print it out without further ado.This took a matter of minutes or at most a fewhours, making the process much quicker and cheap-er than the conventional methods of turning, millingor casting. Initially—as the name implies—only proto-types were made this way. What’s next on theexperts’ agenda now is to apply these processes tomanufacture functional parts in metallic materialssuch that they are ready for use with as little post-processing as possible.

W

“Our goal is to mature the process for production applications,” saysDr. Andreas Jakimov, project manager, development, additive manu-facturing at MTU in Munich. This is why today such processes arereferred to as rapid manufacturing or, more generally still, additiveprocesses. These have many advantages: They save time in produc-tion, speed up innovation cycles, permit lighter and more functionalcomponents to be produced, and—last but not least—they markedlybring down development costs. But whereas additive processes forplastic components have, over time, been improved to a point wheresome of them have already found their way into production, thechangeover from plastic materials to metal, and from prototypes toproduction parts, is proving much harder. Jakimov and his colleagueshad decided to focus on selective laser melting (SLM), which is nowbeing successfully used, early in the game. Initially, only a handful ofmetals could be processed by SLM. Today the choice is much wider,according to Jakimov, but all the same, one of the major aims ofMTU’s experts is to further broaden the scope of application of theSLM process to include new materials.

The trouble is that with every component to be produced by additivemanufacturing, the material can be classed as “new”. This is be-cause—in contrast to milling from the solid or casting—the structuralproperties resulting from local melting are often not known in suffi-cient detail. As a result, all validation and approval procedures mustbe repeated. The first task for Jakimov and his team of experts, there-fore, was to produce lots of specimens, test them and carefully eval-uate the test data. “Once we have demonstrated that we can controlthe additive manufacturing process for a particular material we cango on to work with it,” says Jakimov. For stainless steel and the nickel-based alloy IN718, this proof was furnished in 2007. That was whenthe MTU experts went about producing metal components for use onrigs by means of additive manufacturing.

The SLM process was used, for instance, to produce the stage twoand four stator vanes for Rig 253, which is built up to test the high-pressure compressor for the EJ200 engine powering the Eurofighter.Stator vanes produced by additive processes can also be found onRig 260, on which the active core engine is being investigated underthe European Union’s NEWAC program. This rig also features stain-less steel engine casing segments with internal flow ducts that wereproduced in a similar manner. “For testing and validation purposes, itis of utmost importance that components can be produced flexiblyand rapidly,” says Dr. Karl-Heinz Dusel, who is responsible for MTU’sRapid Technologies team. This is why it was decided to give SLM a tryon these components. The engineer adds: “The turnaround times forthe Rig 260 casing components alone are more than 80 percentshorter than they would be with conventional casting processes. Thebenefits are clear: The quicker a rig can be built up and converted, thequicker MTU can provide data. And it brings down costs, too.”

The positive effects would be even greater on components that gointo production engines. “We are planning to move as quickly as wecan from development components on to production components,”says Dusel. With the manufacture of the initial rig components, thefirst stage of the three-stage roadmap has come to a successful con-

Technology + Science

Already tested in the laboratory: MTU’s direct metal laser sinteringfacility is used to build up components layer by layer.

The laser beam in action: The material is melted within fractions ofa second.

Solidified and cooled: A new layer has formed.

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For additional information, contactDr. Andreas Jakimov+49 89 1489-2594

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go towww.mtu.de/111Laser

Technology + Science

clusion. Work is now progressing on stage two: the replacement ofconventional cast components with ones produced using additiveprocesses. The MTU engineers expect that the cost of blanks can belowered by as much as 30 percent and production times can be sig-nificantly reduced as from 2013. But process stability and the repro-ducibility of results still need optimizing before sealing segments,mountings and holders manufactured using SLM find their way intoengines. “In production, the structure of all components must beidentical,” says Thomas Heß, process engineer on the Rapid Technol-ogies team. This is considerably more demanding than the productionof one-off components for the rigs.

One of the central quality issues is the surface finish of a component,according to Heß. The component models are automatically brokendown into 20 to 40 micrometer thick slices by the computer prior toSLM. This process is known as slicing. “When surfaces are not paral-lel with the direction of the slices this leads to the so-called staircaseeffect,” explains Prof. Dr. Michael Zäh, who heads up the Institute forMachine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) at the TechnicalUniversity of Munich, with which MTU is working closely in the areaof additive processes. The effect can be reduced by making the slicesthinner, but this generally results in longer production times. So a rea-sonable tradeoff must be found between short production times andacceptable surface quality, for example by aligning the componentthree-dimensionally in the process chamber in a manner that mini-mizes the number of slopes to be built up. However, the optimumalignment is not always possible, since equal attention must be givento maximizing the packing density on the build platform so that asmany components as possible can be produced at the same time.Otherwise the process is not cost-effective, according to Zäh.

Selective laser melting (SLM) counts among theadditive manufacturing processes. The first step is toslice up a 3D CAD model of the component to be pro-duced. A laser then builds up the solid equivalent ofthe model layer by layer from a powdered material.The powder particles are locally melted and fusedtogether. This process allows the tool-free produc-tion of complex components that are extremely dif-ficult if not impossible to manufacture using conven-tional methods. The flexibility of the process makesit particularly suitable for low-volume production andfor one-off components.

Selective lasermelting

“When we started out we made every mistake in the book,” saysJakimov. This did not turn out to be a problem, but in fact helped theteam improve the process: “We want to learn from our mistakes.” Theengineers are looking to master the whole process chain and set it upin-house—including the technology needed for testing. “This way theteam draws closer together, which saves time and money,” Jakimovexplains. Working directly with MTU’s design engineering departmentand with experts the likes of Michael Zäh, who have many years ofexperience in this field, is immensely important, particularly in thethird stage of the implementation of additive technologies at MTU.

With respect to components that are due to be mature for productionas from 2018, it is essential to use the main advantage of additiveprocesses to best effect: the almost unlimited freedom of design.“Our colleagues in design engineering won’t have to worry aboutwhether a component can be cast, machined from the solid or subse-quently drilled—they just can get started,” says Jakimov. Additiveprocesses open the door for totally new, integral designs that will per-

mit one single component to replace two or three detail parts thatuntil now needed to be bolted or welded together, the expert predicts.“These new components will have greater functionality and weighless.” This reduces total engine weight, cutting fuel consumption andcosts. Jakimov adds: “Our competitors are working on similar ideas.But the excellent cooperation with our partners, and the experiencewe have already gained, put us in a position to take an active role indriving this technology.”

Process radiation at the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management at the Technical University of Munich: It was here that extensive basic research anddevelopment work on additive manufacturing was performed. The typical process radiation produced during laser solidification of the layer is clearly visible.

SLM makes it possible: The filigree sphere bounceslike a rubber ball.

Finished component: Both the vane segment and the highly complex honeycomb seal were manufactured using additive processes.

24 25

Technology + Science

Don’t touch,just look

MTU Aero Engines once again lives up to its reputa-tion as a driver of innovation: In its blisk production,Germany’s leading engine manufacturer recentlyintroduced optical 3D techniques which permit en-tirely non-contact measurements to be performed.These new methods are highly accurate and fast,reduce the time needed for measurements and helpoptimize the design of components. And this savesthe company money.

By Denis Dilba

“I

26 27

t might be a slight exaggeration tosay that it’s a new generation of ex-perimental analysis equipment, but

it’s the best way I can describe it,” says Dr.Ulrich Retze from component testing at MTUin Munich. The engineer is talking about therecently commissioned test rig for experi-mental investigation into the vibration be-havior of integrally bladed disks, or blisks forshort. He had played a major role in thedevelopment of this rig. The high-end meas-uring system provides important data on thedynamic response of these components tovibrations. The changeover to non-contactmeasuring techniques was made becausecontact-based measurement systems invari-ably deliver slightly distorted results as theinstrument comes in touch with the testobject. The new measuring system is fullyautomated and provides important informa-tion on the vibration behavior of the inte-grally bladed rotors for immediate analysis.

Technology + Science

The question that Retze and his colleagues wantto answer using the new measuring techniques isbasically the same for all parts: to what extentdoes the vibration behavior of the integral com-ponent simulated on the computer match that ofan actual blisk? Engineers refer to this process asvalidation. While computer models assume thatall blades of the blisk are in the ideal condition,i.e. have the same structure and hence absolute-ly identical natural frequencies, in reality they areinevitably slightly different due to manufacturingtolerances. “The occasional blade might be a littlebit shorter, thicker or thinner,” says Retze. Con-trary to the data calculated by the computer, thenatural frequencies exhibited by real-life compo-nents tend to spread within a narrow range oneither side of the specified value.

These effects, which result from deviations fromthe nominal component geometry, are taken intoaccount in the component design. The newlycommissioned test rig permits the design param-eters to be verified in detail so that any geome-try adjustments required can be made at a veryearly stage of development. The new non-contactmeasuring technique, which has been maturedfor production within two years, bases on the useof a scanning laser vibrometer. This instrumentcontains a laser sensor that records the distribu-tion of surface vibrations on the blisk. Vibration-induced displacement of the high-value rotorcomponents is remotely generated by acousticactuators. “Overall, the system provides a ratherprecise overview of the vibration conditions pre-vailing in a blisk. Thus, we can check whethervibrations remain within acceptable limits at crit-ical operating points,” explains Retze.

The high-tech approach pays dividends, says thespecialist in optical metrology: “The results ofour measurements help us understand in detailhow such complex components behave in opera-tion when subjected to vibrations.” Based onthese results, the vibration-induced stresses canbe predicted more precisely and taken into ac-count in the structural-mechanical design of thecomponents, which permits the design to be op-timized still further. Retze also points to anotheradvantage of the highly precise new method: It isnow possible to check by experiments if blisksthat only slightly exceed manufacturing toler-ances or that have undergone repairs are capa-ble of withstanding the vibrations that occur in

For additional information, contactDr. Ulrich Retze+49 89 1489-8691

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go towww.mtu.de/111Scanning

operation. As a result, such experimental analy-ses help assess critical components in a timelymanner and prevent scrap. “We can now offer anew, highly efficient measuring method thatplaces us among the international leaders in thefield,” according to Retze.

Fringe projection, another non-contact method,operates no less precisely. “This optical 3D tech-nique is mainly used to measure componentdimensions or for reverse engineering purposes,”says Wilhelm Satzger, an expert in optical metrol-ogy at MTU Aero Engines. The method, which hasbeen refined at MTU in the past few years to meetthe exacting requirements of measuring closelytoleranced production engine components, deliv-ers highly precise measurements of the entirecomponent surface in a minimum of time. Withthe conventional contact-based measurementtechniques used up to now, this would have beenalmost impossible. Together with Steffen Schlot-hauer, a data expert on MTU’s Rapid Technolo-gies team, Satzger has matured the technologyfor production use at Germany’s leading enginemanufacturer.

The fringe projection system consists of two ormore cameras arranged at a defined angle rela-tive to one another, and a projector, which is nor-mally mounted in the middle. The latter projectsa precisely calculated pattern of stripes onto thecomponent. “In very simple terms, the deforma-tion of the stripes provides information on thegeometry of the component undergoing dimen-sional inspection,” explains Wilhelm Satzger. Thespatial representation of the component on thecomputer screen may comprise several million3D points. These points are used to create adimensionally extremely precise CAD image ofthe component. The CAD image can then serveto generate an exact physical reproduction of thecomponent or to compare it with design specifi-cations.

The experts are convinced that the technologyhas enormous potential for future applications.

Representation of the results of optical measurement on the computer screen.

The optical 3D measuring process is entirely non-contact.

MTU Aero Engines in Munich recently commissioned a new test rig which serves to investigatethe vibration behavior of blisks.

Non-contact measurement: A blisk is scanned from various directions using a sensor mountedon a robot arm.

28 29

30 31

One face to the customerMTU Maintenance has optimized its repair operations. Operating structures have beenstreamlined and a central organizational unit has been set up. All repair-related sales andmarketing activities have been brought together in MTU’s newly created Repair Servicescenter. Each customer now has one contact to take care of all of its repair needs—no mat-ter where in the world the work is carried out. And Repair Services aims to win and keepcustomers with new repair techniques and improved turnaround times.

ermany, China and Canada are just three countriesaround the globe in which MTU Maintenance, theworld’s largest independent provider of maintenance

services for commercial aero engines, has set up mainte-nance shops. Blade sets are overhauled at one end of theworld and injection nozzles at the other. Germany hosts theMTU Maintenance group’s flagship company: MTU Mainte-nance Hannover. This is where the coordination center for allglobal repair operations was set up at the end of 2010. Salesactivities for all maintenance shops have been grouped underthe umbrella of MTU’s Repair Services, where a 25-personteam is responsible for marketing all of the services. CarstenBehrens, Vice President, Repair Services, says: “The struc-tures are now more clearly defined, and this has substantiallyimproved communication and the marketing of our services.”By designating personal account managers, he aims to pro-vide an even better quality of service that takes into accountthe specific needs and requirements of each customer. Thelocal sales teams will also benefit from the restructuring: theyhave been beefed up to maximize their chances of winningnew contracts in their respective markets.

The idea of bringing together all repair-related sales and mar-keting activities performed on behalf of the various locations,

G

Products + Services

By Daniel Hautmann/Martina Vollmuth

and creating a single market presence on the principle of“one face to the customer”, was first proposed at the end of2009. Until then, customers requiring component repairsoften had to deal with several contractual partners at MTU.For instance, combustion chambers were handled byHannover and compressor blades and vanes by Malaysia.Now customers only have to contact one person who willtake care of all their repair needs. Repair Services offers awide portfolio ranging from the repair of detail parts to fullparts management (Total Part Care, in short: TPC®), and evena teardown service for decommissioned engines.

Repairs are carried out at MTU’s facilities in Hannover, Berlin-Brandenburg, Munich, Rzeszów (Poland), Vancouver (Canada),Zhuhai (China) and in the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).Use of the capacities and specialized skills available at eachlocation is optimized to allow customized service packages tobe offered to each customer.

The system of Centers of Excellence has not been changed:Berlin-Brandenburg continues to carry out repairs on smalland medium-sized engines and industrial gas turbines. Asbefore, Malaysia specializes in compressor blade and vanerepairs, and Vancouver in accessories. Hannover is the high-

Adaptive milling of the tip of a high-pressure turbine blade.

Low-pressure plasma spraying of a V2500 high-pres-sure turbine vane.

Water-jet stripping of a high-pressure compressorcasing.

High-speed grinding of a V2500 high-pressure compressor.

Laser machining of a V2500 high-pressure turbinevane.

Electro-discharge machining of an LM2500 high-pressure turbine blade.

Fully automated final contouring of a blade by adaptive milling.

For additional information, contactCarsten Behrens+49 511 7806-9098

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go towww.mtu.de/111Repair

tech component repair center for medium-size and large air-craft engines, and the repair shop in Zhuhai is the largestcommercial engine maintenance center in China. The mainte-nance shop in Poland, the most recent addition, is responsiblefor the repair of engine tubing.

One of the core competencies of Repair Services is the devel-opment of innovative repair techniques and the enhance-ment of existing processes. The technologies developed byMTU are renowned throughout the world for the unique depthsof restoration achieved. Each local development team is re-sponsible for working on new techniques to extend the respec-tive repair service portfolio.

Carsten Behrens has set himself ambitious goals. When vyingfor contracts, MTU Maintenance’s Repair Services oftencompetes with the OEMs. This is precisely where Behrensaims to step up efforts. He sees MTU’s advantage in that it isan independent service provider: “But we still need to deliverfaster and better solutions at even more affordable costs.”

TU Aero Engines, Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, andthe MRO service providers in Ludwigsfelde have been makinghistory together since 1991. The former state-owned company

became an integral part of the MTU group after several decades behindthe Iron Curtain and the collapse of the German Democratic Republic(GDR). When MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg was first established,a visiting dignitary made a discerning remark that became something ofa company catchphrase: “The sky above Ludwigsfelde harbors a traditionand a future at once.” Today, his words are as true as ever. Over the last20 years, the veteran aviation site has developed into an ultra-modern,high-performance global company with a firm place in the MTU group.“We’re on course for growth,” confirms André Sinanian, President andCEO of the MTU subsidiary since October 2010.

The MTU facility on the southern outskirts of Berlin, which employs morethan 650 people, owes its exemplary development to the wide range ofservices it provides. The company maintains, repairs and overhaulsGeneral Electric LM2500, LM5000 and LM6000 industrial gas turbines,as well as commercial aero engines in the small- to medium-thrust andpower categories.

Looking after GE Aviation’s CF34 family of engines is a real coup for thecompany: The CF34 is already the engine of choice for 50-seat regionaljets and now boasts even further growth potential, having been selectedas the exclusive powerplant for new 70- to 100-seat jets manufactured byBombardier and Embraer.

Products + Services

A traditionand a future

IGT, P&WC and CF34—three little abbreviations that sum up the tre-mendous success enjoyed by MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburgover the years. The company is MTU’s center of excellence for indus-trial gas turbines (IGT); it is also the specialist service center forsmall and medium-sized engines manufactured by Pratt & WhitneyCanada (P&WC), and provides service support for all members ofGE Aviation’s highly successful CF34 family of engines. This year,the company is celebrating two special anniversaries: 75 years ofengine construction in Ludwigsfelde and 20 years of affiliation tothe MTU group.

M

By Martina Vollmuth

32 33

Products + Services

The Ludwigsfelde shop is the first independent MRO providerworldwide to look after the entire CF34 family. The facilityalso provides service support for the PT6A, PW200, PW300and PW500 series of engines. Co-located on-site, the Pratt &Whitney Canada Customer Service Centre Europe GmbH(CSC), a 50/50 joint venture of MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg and Pratt & Whitney Canada, is responsible forsales and marketing activities.

The TP400-D6, the powerplant for the new A400M militarytransport aircraft, is another showcase program for theLudwigsfelde location. MTU Maintenance Berlin-Branden-burg has the only production test facility for the westernhemisphere’s most powerful turboprop engine—it is one ofthe most powerful in existence—and is also responsible fordelivery of all production engines.

Ludwigsfelde uses the high-tech repair techniques for whichMTU is renowned around the globe. When others would sim-ply reach for a new part, MTU Maintenance restores evenseverely worn components to serviceable condition in linewith its motto “Repair beats replacement”. Sinanian says:“One main point of focus for our future development will betargeted investment in innovative processes that will allow usto optimize our current offerings.” In the past year, much hasalready been achieved in this regard: The four-shop operation

was completely reorganized, a new just-in-time productionsystem was introduced (MRO InTakt), the shop layout wasrevamped and production optimized, innovative technologieswere adopted and new machines procured. Sinanian goes on:“This means we’re well equipped for the anticipated growthahead. But of course, we also want to continue improving andto further increase our vertical range of manufacturing wher-ever it makes sound economic sense.”

Inspection of an LM6000 industrial gas turbine.

The TP400-D6, the engine to power the A400M, is tested at MTU’s Ludwigsfeldelocation.

The history of the Ludwigsfelde location is inextricably linked with the GDR’s Pirna 014 jet engine.

A star in MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg’s portfolio: the CF34 engine family, which powers business and regional jets. Shown here is a CF34-10.

For additional information, contactAndré Sinanian+49 3378 824-301

For further information on this article, go towww.mtu.de/111Ludwigsfelde

34 35

The now-successful MTU subsidiary can look back over manyeventful years, not all of which were easy. Its origins go allthe way back to 1936, when Daimler-Benz FlugmotorenwerkGenshagen was established on the site of the present-dayLudwigsfelde industrial estate—and a particularly dark chap-ter of history began to unfold. In Genshagen, as elsewhere inGermany, the National Socialist war machine relentlesslyramped up production. Towards the end of World War II, nofewer than one in seven German aero engines were producedin Ludwigsfelde. DB600 series engines were manufacturedthere, in particular the DB605, which powered later versionsof the Messerschmitt Bf 109. In 1944, production peaked atmore than 10,500 engines a year, a record that sadly owedmuch to the 8,000 or so forced laborers and concentrationcamp inmates who toiled on site in inhuman conditions.

After World War II, the Genshagen plant remained closed fora time. But things started to look up again in the 1950s, whenthe East German government made the decision to set up itsown aviation industry. The medium-range passenger airliner152 was built in Dresden, and the engine that powered it—Germany’s first ever commercial jet engine—was developedin the Saxon city of Pirna. That powerplant, which would godown in history as the Pirna 014, was manufactured inLudwigsfelde. In the early 1960s, however, East Germany’sambitious plans were at first severely constrained by prob-lems with materials, then ultimately abandoned. In 1959, a152 with Russian engines crashed during a test flight, andalthough the aircraft did take to the skies successfully thefollowing year using Pirna engines, by spring 1961, the SEDCentral Committee had decided to bring down the curtain onthe GDR’s aviation industry.

Ludwigsfelde’s intervening history in brief: Including the pro-totypes, a total of 28 Pirna 014 engines were manufacturedat the traditional production facility. In 1958, the first militaryrepair and overhaul contracts were concluded with the EastGerman air force, and the plant assumed responsibility forthe 5,500 or so engines that powered its fleet of MiGs. Thecompany also gradually made a name for itself as an alterna-

tive provider of maintenance services for Russian-built heli-copter engines, alongside shops in the USSR. In 1978, itbranched out into maintenance of the turboshaft engines andmain gearboxes used on MI-8 and MI-24 helicopters. By theend of the 1980s, it had made all the necessary preparationsto look after the R-27, R-19 and R-29B engines for the MiG-23 multi-role fighter; however, these efforts ultimately cameto nothing, because the overall political climate had changeddramatically by then. 1989 saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, andtwo years later, the long-established company found itself anew home and a new future within the MTU group: MTULudwigsfelde GmbH was founded on July 1, 1991, and wassubsequently renamed MTU Maintenance Berlin-Branden-burg in 1999.

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A resoundingsuccess in the

Middle Kingdom

The Year of the Rabbit marks a milestone anniversary for MTU Mainte-nance Zhuhai: Ten years ago, MTU Aero Engines and China SouthernAirlines established the 50/50 joint venture partnership in the ZhuhaiSpecial Economic Zone in southern China. Ever since, the MRO shophas seen steady, strong growth, and the company is now the marketleader in MRO services for IAE V2500 and for CFM56 engines in China.

decade ago, the place where this world-class maintenance,repair and overhaul (MRO) shop now stands—with its high-techmachine pool, advanced test cell and superbly trained em-

ployees—was nothing but swampland. MTU Maintenance and its long-standing customer China Southern Airlines (CSA) chose this site fortheir joint venture, which maintains V2500 and CFM56 engines, tobenefit from its proximity to the industrial and commercial centers ofHong Kong and Macau. And ever since the first concrete piles weredriven into the swampy ground in May 2001, this new partnershiphas been a tremendous success. The shop kicked off with its firstV2500 from CSA’s fleet in 2003 and delivered 21 engines that sameyear. Eight years later the number of shop visits had climbed to 166.“That corresponds to an average annual growth rate of 35 percent,”according to Holger Sindemann, President & CEO of MTU Mainte-nance Zhuhai.

This upward trend shows no sign of abating. With the company ex-pecting up to 190 shop visits this year—a workload that will push itscapacity to the limit—the time has clearly come to expand the facili-ty: “By adding more shop space, we will be able to accommodate asmany as 300 shop visits a year by 2012,” says Sindemann. A clearstrategy which is coupled with an ambitious goal: “Our aim is to benumber one in the Asian market.” The plan is to achieve this objectiveby soliciting more business and adding new engine types, as Sinde-mann explains: “In principle, we are capable of handling any enginewhatsoever.” Things certainly look promising: China Southern oper-ates a fleet of more than 400 aircraft, a number that can well be

A

Global

By Silke Hansen

38 39

expected to grow in future. Today already virtually every secondengine received for a shop visit is sent in by this Chinese carrier,which is one of the country’s biggest.

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s success is based on solid collaborationbetween two partners who complement each other perfectly. “Webring the technology and process know-how to the table, while ChinaSouthern provides clearer insights into an airline customer’s specificneeds, plus the expertise of an airline operator,” says Sindemann.And Yuan Xin’an, Vice President of China Southern and Chairman ofthe joint venture, adds: “Efficient cooperation based on trust hasproven to be beneficial for both sides. Our basic concept is to com-bine workload from CSA and MTU’s expertise and technology. Webenefit from lower cost and shorter turnaround times, which are keycriteria to help us succeed in a tough competitive environment.”

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has numerous other customers in additionto CSA. It has managed to attract 45 airlines just in the last threeyears, as Sindemann explains: “We have customers all over the world,but our main focus is on the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets.”Its top customers include Hainan Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, AirMacau, and the IAE engine consortium. “We highly appreciate MTU’scustomer-oriented service and the efficient communication betweenour companies,” says Wang Qi, Deputy General Manager of the mate-rial department at Hainan Airlines, who already has an eye on thefuture: “MTU offers value-added services that go beyond MRO toinclude training, engine leasing and aircraft-on-ground support.”

Business is booming, and not only in the domestic Chinese market. In2009, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai scored a major coup when it ob-

For additional information, contactHolger Sindemann+86 756 8687-806

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go towww.mtu.de/111Zhuhai

tained certification from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau. “Thatmakes us the only MRO shop in China that holds a license from theJapanese authorities,” says Sindemann happily. In 2010, the firstCFM56-3C1 engine from the new Japanese customer All Nippon Air-ways (ANA) arrived in Zhuhai for maintenance. “We completed the firstshop visit even faster than scheduled, and ANA was highly satisfiedwith the job we did.” Word has clearly got around, and MTU has sincebeen audited by other Japanese airlines as well. The shop has offer-ings others do not have, as for example level III capability, whichenables it to perform repairs down to component level. Sindemannadds: “We carry out more than 80 percent of the necessary repairsourselves using innovative, high-tech component repair techniquessuch as heat treatment, plasma coating and high-speed grinding.”The shop recently introduced high-pressure water-jet stripping andV2500 rear shaft hardcoating.

The company’s tenth anniversary will not be the only milestone to becelebrated: MTU’s biggest location outside Germany is about to breakthe 1,000 mark, meaning 1,000 successfully overhauled engines. Sowhat is the key to its success? “The cross-cultural partnership is theperfect combination of Chinese philosophy and German logic.Chinese and German people share the same culture of hard work anddedication,” says Yuan Xin’an from China Southern.

Superb trainingGlobal

Customer and partner in the Middle Kingdom: China Southern Airlines is one of the country’s major airlines.

The company is the market leader in maintenance services forV2500 engines in China. Shown here is the assembly of theinlet cone.

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s premises cover a surface area of 156,000square meters.

“We started out training the employees at MTU’slocations in Germany and Canada,” recalls MartinKöster, who had helped establish the facility in theChinese Pearl River Delta together with WalterStrakosch, then President and CEO. Shortly after-wards, MTU embarked on a cooperation project withthe local vocational college to cover the need forskilled labor. Around 60 of the 550 current employ-ees completed a three-year training program similarto the German dual system of vocational training,studying the theoretical aspects in the classroomand learning the practical skills in MTU’s shop—theonly scheme of its kind in China. For his outstandingachievements and dedication to China’s develop-ment, Walter Strakosch was honored with the Friend-ship Award of China. Strakosch died three years ago.

Since 2009, some 20 employees have been takingclasses after work to study for a master’s degree inaviation maintenance engineering. “MTU is a respect-ed employer in China and, at less than three percenta year, our staff turnover rate is very low,” says thecurrent President & CEO Holger Sindemann.

Europe’sbiggest flying

laboratory

4140

Among the thousands of Airbus A320 aircraft faithfullyplying their routes around the globe day after day, there isone that is completely unique: The Advanced TechnologyResearch Aircraft (ATRA) operated by the German Aero-space Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raum-fahrt, DLR). The twin-engine jet serves as a flying plat-form for testing technologies aimed at making air trans-port safer, more economical, more environmentallyfriendly and more comfortable. It is powered by two IAEV2500 engines.

he DLR’s flight operations departmentboasts 12 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraftand is thus the largest civilian operator

of research aircraft in Europe. Just like all theDLR’s other facilities, these aircraft workentirely in the service of science. Since2006, the flagship of the fleet has been anAirbus A320 stationed in Braunschweig—theAdvanced Technology Research Aircraft(ATRA). In its previous life, the A320 wasoperated by Aero Lloyd and Niki. Its aft cabinarea still contains a standard seating ar-rangement, which makes it the ideal candi-date for research into passenger comfort.

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Report

By Achim Figgen

The DLR is the Federal Republic of Germany’s nationalresearch center for aeronautics and space. It was given itscurrent designation on October 1, 1997, when the GermanResearch Institute for Aeronautics and Space amalgamatedwith the German Space Agency (DARA) to form a new organ-ization, the German Aerospace Center. The origins of theDLR go right back to 1907, when physicist Ludwig Prandtlfounded the Model Research Institute of the Society for theStudy of Powered Airships.

The DLR is headquartered in Cologne, employs around6,900 people at 13 locations around Germany, and runs 33institutes and miscellaneous test and operating facilities,including wind tunnels and rocket and engine test rigs. Localoffices in Brussels, Paris and Washington, D.C., to name buta few, ensure contact with scientists and potential customersall over the world.

In 2009, the DLR spent around 770 million euros on re-search and development and other internal operations,through funding provided in roughly equal parts by the tax-payers and by third parties. The German government’sentire space budget for that year was approximately 1,047million euros.

German AerospaceCenter

Mid last year, around 50 very special passengers were sent on a busjourney from Göttingen to the Airbus factory in Hamburg. A few weekslater, the remarkably homogeneous party took off from the city’sFinkenwerder airport on a series of short round trips. The identically-sized and uniformly black-clothed passengers had a clearly definedrole: Their synthetic bodies were to demonstrate the advantages anddisadvantages of a new cabin airflow concept. Although the thermaldummies—for that is what they were—bear only a passing resem-blance to genuine flesh and blood as far as looks are concerned, theyare much more like humans when it comes to the distribution of radi-ated body heat.

Which brings us to the precise purpose of these flights: Normally,fresh air is blown into a cabin at high speed through nozzles located

For additional information, contactTorunn Siegler+49 89 1489-6626

For further information on this article, go towww.mtu.de/111ATRA

42 43

Report

above passengers’ heads. However, this can very quickly dry out theeyes and nose, and impinge upon physical comfort. So, in a series oftests conducted jointly by Airbus and the DLR, the standard systemwas turned completely upside down, and the fresh air was fed into thecabin through the side paneling at foot height—and at low speed.Because of the rise in temperature caused by body heat, it then roseupwards and was sucked out of the cabin over the heads of the ther-mal dummies.

These experiments, which may be repeated with human test subjectsonce the initial findings have been evaluated, clearly demonstratewhy the DLR opted for the A320 as its new research aircraft. To workwith a model that is still in widespread operation increases the likeli-hood that manufacturers, system producers and research institutes

will actually make use of the flying laboratory, because improvementsconfirmed on such a model can still find their way into production. Itgoes without saying that, for an institution which dedicates itself pri-marily to supporting the national aviation industry, the aircraft ofchoice simply had to be an Airbus. And naturally, the propulsion sys-tem simply had to be the V2500 engine, in which MTU Aero Engineshas a significant production share.

Conducting actual flight tests to try out a new cabin ventilation sys-tem is without doubt the most expensive of all options, and theextremely time-consuming modifications that have to be made to theaircraft represent a significant time investment. So why choose to godown this route, given that technologies such as computational fluiddynamics (CFD) can be used to simulate many different things thesedays, including the movement of air masses around the cabin?“Anyone who decides to press ahead with flight tests clearly has verygood reasons for doing so,” says Gerald Ernst, who heads ATRAManagement at the DLR. Beforehand, they will have carefully consid-ered the limits of simulation. In the case of cabin ventilation, forexample, the thermal effects that are perceived as air circulatingaround an aircraft at cruising altitude cannot be reproduced on theground, nor can they yet be simulated on computer. Hence the deci-

Thermal dummies are “testing” a new cabin air system on board the A320 ATRA.

The low-speed wind tunnel in Braunschweig. MTU’s counter-rotating integrated shrouded propfan (CRISP) was amongthe modules tested in the wind tunnel.

A new idea is being tested: an electrical nose wheel drive forthe Airbus A320.

sion to verify CFD results showing the movement of air from cabinfloor to ceiling in a real aircraft with dummies approximating real pas-sengers.

The DLR’s ATRA has already been put to use in a number of projects,including investigating potential ways to improve air quality in thecabin, testing fuel cells as a possible energy source, and conductingtaxi vibration tests to determine natural vibration patterns. It will alsoprovide the platform for the planned testing of navigation and com-munication technologies for low-noise approach and departure pro-cedures, and for aerodynamic testing to help optimize the A320’s per-formance parameters. In the ATRA, the DLR and its contracting part-ners have a highly-versatile laboratory at their disposal—one that canjustifiably claim to be without equal in Europe.

2010 results: higher revenues and profitsMTU Aero Engines is pleased with fiscal2010: “The economy recovered percep-tibly in 2010, which was a welcome boostfor the aviation industry,” said MTU CEOEgon Behle at the annual press confer-ence held in Munich in late February,which was attended by a great numberof media representatives. And Behleadded: “Thanks to its excellent positionin the market, MTU performed very suc-cessfully in this environment and onceagain demonstrated its strong earningspower.” The company’s revenues grewby four percent to over 2.7 billion eurosand its operating profit increased byseven percent to 311.3 million euros.MTU’s net income amounted to 142.2million euros, and the free cash flow was144.8 million euros.

Behle is also confident about the future:“The market will continue to grow in2011, and MTU, too, will benefit fromthat development. In fact, both our OEMand MRO segments have already startedthe year well.” Experts are predicting afurther increase both in passenger andfreight traffic in 2011, mainly driven bygrowth in the Asia-Pacific region andNorth America. MTU is a strong player inboth regions, also thanks to its localcompanies. The engine manufacturertherefore expects its revenues to rise byseven to eight percent in 2011 and ad-justed EBIT and net income to remain atthis year’s level.

MTU Aero EnginesRevenues

of which OEM businessof which commercial engine businessof which military engine business

of which commercial MRO businessEBIT (calculated on a comparable basis)

of which OEM businessof which commercial MRO business

EBIT margin (calculated on a comparable basis)for OEM businessfor commercial MRO business

Net income (IFRS)Net income (calculated on a comparable basis)Earnings per share (undiluted)Free cash flowResearch and development expenditure

of which company-fundedof which outside-funded

Capital expenditure

Order backlogof which OEM businessof which commercial MRO business

Employees

20092,610.81,585.71,053.7

532.01,057.6

292.3229.2

65.311.2 %14.5 %

6.2 %141.0170.5

2.89 €120.2230.2123.0107.2140.3

Dec. 31, 09

4,150.93,965.1

185.87,665

20102,707.41,663.51,177.6

485.91,074.0

311.3229.6

80.311.5 %13.8 %

7.5 %142.2182.3

2.91 €144.8238.7148.1

90.6109.4

Dec. 31, 10

4,506.74,331.5

177.77,907

Change+ 3.7 %+ 4.9 %

+ 11.8 %- 8.7 %

+ 1.6 %+ 6.5 %+ 0.2 %

+ 23.0 %

+ 0.9 %+ 6.9 %+ 0.7 %

+ 20.5 %+ 3.7 %

+ 20.4 %- 15.5 %- 22.0 %Change

+ 8.6 %+ 9.2 %- 4.4 %

+ 3.2 %

MTU Aero Engines – key financial data for 2010

(Figures quoted in million €, calculated on a comparablebasis. Statements prepared in accordance with IFRS.Figures calculated on a comparable basis apply adjust-ments to the IFRS consolidated results to excluderestructuring and transaction costs, capitalized develop-ment costs and the effects of IFRS purchase price ac-counting).

4544

The geared turbofan (GTF) chalks up one success after another:By April, Pratt & Whitney had received 1,200 orders, includingoptions, for PurePower® PW1000G engines. The largest contractsby far were placed by India’s airline IndiGo, which will equip 150A320neo aircraft with the GTF, and by U.S. aircraft leasing com-pany International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), which hasselected the GTF to power 100 A320neo jets. Other customersfor the innovative propulsion system include Trans States Holdingsin the U.S. and Germany’s flag airline Lufthansa. The GTF is oneof two engine options for the A320neo and will also powerBombardier’s CSeries, Mitsubishi’s MRJ, and Irkut’s MS-21. MTUaims to have a stake of at least 15 percent in the engine.

Flood of orders coming in for the GTF

A new shop which will house MTU Aero Engines’ new Center of Excellence for bliskproduction will be erected on the company’s premises in Munich. In all, MTU willinvest around 20 million euros. Blisks are high-tech components where disk andblades are forming one single component. They are increasingly used in today’sadvanced engine compressors. Presently, MTU produces around 600 blisks per year,but this number is expected to grow to as many as 3,000 units by 2020. Constructionof the building will commence in the summer of 2011 and will be completed in 2012.

MTU’s Maintenance group did extremely well in the first quarter: In the first threemonths of this year, new contracts worth around 400 million euros were signed. Oneof the largest contracts was awarded by Atlas Air. The U.S. carrier had started to sendthe CF6-50 and CF6-80 engines powering its Boeing 747 fleet to MTU MaintenanceHannover for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) back in 1999. Now the existingcontract was expanded to include additional engines and renewed to run through2020. MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg’s CF34 MRO team, too, succeeded insecuring some attractive deals. Overall, the company managed to add 15 new airlinesand operators to its customer base.

In Brief

Lucrative MRO contracts

Printed byEBERL PRINT GmbHKirchplatz 687509 Immenstadt • Germany

Contributions credited to authors do not neces-sarily reflect the opinion of the editors. We willnot be held responsible for unsolicited material.Reprinting of contributions is subject to the editors’ approval.

Masthead

EditorMTU Aero Engines GmbHEckhard ZangerSenior Vice President Corporate Communicationsand Public Affairs

Editor in chiefTorunn SieglerTel. +49 89 1489-6626Fax +49 89 1489-4303torunn.siegler@mtu.de

Final editorMartina VollmuthTel. +49 89 1489-5333Fax +49 89 1489-8757martina.vollmuth@mtu.de

AddressMTU Aero Engines GmbH Dachauer Straße 66580995 Munich • Germanywww.mtu.de

RealizationHeidrun Moll

Editorial staffDenis Dilba, Achim Figgen, Silke Hansen, DanielHautmann, Patrick Hoeveler, Odilo Mühling,Andreas Spaeth, Martina Vollmuth, Tony Wilcoxson

LayoutManfred Deckert Sollnerstraße 73 81479 Munich • Germany

AirbusAirbus; U.S. Navy; MTU Aero EnginesPratt & Whitney; MTU Aero EnginesAirbus, Pratt & Whitney; MTU AeroEnginesAndreas Spaeth; MTU Aero EnginesU.S. Navy; VericorInstitut für Werkzeugmaschinen undBetriebswissenschaften, TU München;MTU Aero EnginesMTU Aero EnginesMTU Aero EnginesAirbus; MTU Aero EnginesChina Southern Airlines; MTU AeroEnginesDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- undRaumfahrt (DLR)Airbus; Carpus+Partner; Atlas Air;MTU Aero Engines

Photo creditsCover Page:Pages 2–3Pages 4–5Pages 6–11

Pages 12–15Pages 16–19Pages 20–25

Pages 26–29Pages 30–31Pages 32–35Pages 36–39

Pages 40–43

Pages 44–45

New production shopin Munich