Blisk manufacture: MTU Aero Engines and TECT Power sign strategic agreement

MTU Aero Engines has concluded a strategic agreement with TECT Power for the supply of compressor blisks. The contract provides for the U.S. company to deliver as many as 800 of the high-tech components a year to Germany's leading engine manufacturer. The deal was clinched at the 2011 Paris Air Show in Le Bourget on Tuesday, June 21, 2011.

Blisks (or IBRs, integrally bladed rotors) are one-piece disk-and-blade components that represent the cutting edge in compressor technology. They are used on advanced engines, as for example the PurePower PW1000G series of geared turbofans built by Pratt & Whitney in partnership with MTU, which will be powering aircraft from 2012 on. Demand for blisks is high, now that Airbus has selected the PW1000G as one of the engine options for its A320neo. Bombardier, Mitsubishi and Irkut, too, have chosen the engine to provide exclusive power for their new regional jets.

"As a result, the demand for blisks will go up significantly," explained Theodor Pregler, MTU Aero Engines Senior Vice President Procurement and Logistics, at the contract announcement. To cover its needs, MTU has decided to set up a new, dedicated building for blisk production at its main manufacturing site in Munich and to team up with a specialist supplier in the field. Says Pregler: "Blisk manufacture requires a high degree of technical skills and advanced machining technology, and that's exactly what our U.S. partner, TECT Power, has to offer."

"This partnership will combine TECT's state-of-the-art blisk/IBR manufacturing capabilities with MTU's world-class design capabilities," said Robert Cohen, president of TECT Power. "The commercial aviation market has embraced Pratt & Whitney's PurePower product, and we look forward to playing such a vital role with MTU."

The agreement now inked is for a term of 10 years and includes collaborative activities involving blisk and IBR manufacturing. MTU is among the world's most highly experienced blisk manufacturers and estimates its annual requirement at 4,000 blisks. The components will be produced at MTU's plant in Munich and in the U.S., with every fifth blisk being supplied by TECT Power as part of the cooperative effort.