This article is based on an official press release and company reporting from Collins Aerospace.

From WWII Gliders to “Wheels in a Week”: The Manufacturing Revolution at Collins Aerospace

In Troy, Ohio, a factory with deep roots in aviation history is undergoing a radical transformation. The facility, once known for producing the gliders that carried troops into World War II battles, has successfully implemented a new manufacturing initiative dubbed “Wheels in a Week.” According to Collins Aerospace, this program has slashed the production time for aircraft wheels by approximately 80 percent, reducing a 45-day process to just seven days.

The centerpiece of this efficiency drive is a new automated production cell described by the company as “tall and sleek, bigger than a phone booth but smaller than a passenger elevator.” This modernization effort highlights a broader shift within the aerospace sector, moving from traditional, fragmented machine shops to integrated, high-tech “Industry 4.0” environments.

A Historic Facility Reimagined

The Troy facility holds a significant place in American aviation heritage. Originally the home of the Waco Aircraft Company, the site was the largest manufacturer of civil aircraft in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. During the Second World War, the factory pivoted to produce CG-4A gliders, which were essential for transporting heavy equipment and troops into combat zones.

Today, the site serves as a critical hub for Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies (RTX) business. While the brick-and-mortar backdrop remains, the interior operations have evolved. The “Wheels in a Week” initiative represents the latest chapter in this evolution, aiming to address the logistical challenges of modern aerospace manufacturing.

The “Wheels in a Week” Initiative

Historically, manufacturing an aircraft wheel at the Troy plant was a disjointed process. According to company reports, a single wheel would travel through five different legacy machines. This workflow required manual transport, setup, and handling at each stage, resulting in a production timeline of approximately 45 days from raw forging to finished part.

The new initiative sought to compress this timeline drastically. By consolidating these steps, Collins Aerospace reports that they have met their ambitious goal of a seven-day turnaround.

“Cutting time by 10 percent, that’s something we’re going to go do. Cutting it by 80 percent? That is a monumental effort that’s going to require all of us together to make it successful.”

, Greg Smith, Director of Operations, Collins Aerospace (Troy, OH)

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Technological Consolidation

The reduction in lead time is largely attributed to the introduction of a multitask machining center. Described in company materials as having “white walls and red doors,” this machine performs both lathe work (spinning and turning) and mill work (cutting and grinding) in a single setup.

Previously, these tasks required five separate machines. The new automated cell features a pallet-changing system that loads and unloads parts without human intervention inside the machine. This consolidation eliminates the “white space”, or idle time, that occurred when parts were moved between stations.

Impact on Safety and Flexibility

Beyond speed, the automation has introduced significant safety improvements. By removing the need for workers to manually lift and fixture heavy wheel forgings multiple times, the physical strain on operators is reduced. The role of the workforce has subsequently shifted from manual labor to technical oversight, involving programming and monitoring of the automated cells.

Troy Brunk, President of Collins Aerospace, emphasized the strategic value of this flexibility in a company statement.

“Taking 45 days of lead time down to seven creates more flexibility for us and our customers. When we think big, we can do a lot of things.”

, Troy Brunk, President, Collins Aerospace

The ability to switch between different wheel models rapidly allows the factory to handle smaller batches and urgent orders more effectively, a crucial capability in a supply chain often beset by fluctuations in demand.

AirPro News Analysis

The success of the “Wheels in a Week” program at Collins Aerospace illustrates a critical trend in the aerospace supply chain: the necessity of resilience through speed. By reducing lead times by 80 percent, manufacturers do not just save money; they insulate themselves against upstream disruptions. When a production cycle takes 45 days, a raw material delay is a crisis. When it takes seven days, the system can recover and pivot much faster.

Furthermore, the cultural shift mentioned by Scott Parkin, VP of Operations for Advanced Structures, suggests that the barrier to modernization is often as much about mindset as it is about machinery. The transition from a “grime and grease” shop to a clean, automated facility requires buy-in from the workforce, proving that Industry 4.0 is as much a human resources challenge as a technological one.

Sources

Sources: Collins Aerospace / RTX

This article is based on an official press release from GKN Aerospace.

GKN Aerospace has announced a significant expansion of its additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities in Norway, signing a strategic agreement to industrialize “Laser Directed Energy Deposition” (L-DED) technology at its engines facility in Kongsberg. The initiative, supported by a co-investment of NOK 12 million (approximately £1 million or $1.1 million), involves a partnership with Norwegian Catapult Manufacturing Technology and SIVA (The Industrial Growth Company).

According to the company’s announcement, this investment aims to establish a national platform for sustainable manufacturing, making advanced infrastructure available to the broader Norwegian industry while integrating GKN’s Norwegian operations into its global “Material Solutions” network.

Industrializing L-DED Technology

The core of this expansion is the deployment of Laser Directed Energy Deposition with wire (L-DED-w). Unlike powder-bed fusion methods often used for smaller components, L-DED-w utilizes a robotic arm to direct a laser beam that melts a metal wire feedstock, building large-scale structures layer by layer.

GKN Aerospace states that the first L-DED-w cell in Kongsberg is scheduled to be operational in 2026. The technology is designed to address sustainability challenges in the aerospace sector by drastically reducing material waste. Traditional manufacturing methods, such as forging and machining, often result in a high “buy-to-fly” ratio, where significant amounts of material are cut away. In contrast, GKN reports that L-DED technology prints near-net shapes, reducing material waste by up to 80%.

“Additive manufacturing is a cornerstone of our vision for the future of aerospace. This partnership with Norwegian Catapult enables us to fully industrialise additive technology and bring sustainable, high-performance solutions closer to our customers.”

, Sébastien Aknouche, Senior Vice President, Material Solutions, GKN Aerospace

Strategic Global Context

This development in Norway is part of a wider decentralization strategy by GKN Aerospace to place additive manufacturing capabilities near existing machining centers. By doing so, the company aims to shorten supply chains, reduce transport costs, and lower the carbon footprint associated with logistics.

The Kongsberg facility joins a growing network of advanced manufacturing sites. The company recently invested in AM capabilities in Trollhättan, Sweden, and commissioned “Cell 3” in Texas, USA, described as the world’s largest known L-DED-w cell, capable of printing titanium parts up to five meters in length.

Collaboration with the Kongsberg Cluster

A key component of this agreement is its collaborative nature. The project is integrated with the Kongsberg Technology Cluster, a hub for high-tech industrial innovation. Through the involvement of the Norwegian Catapult and SIVA, the infrastructure developed at GKN’s facility will serve as a resource for other industrial players in the region.

“Together with GKN Aerospace, we are building a platform for future-oriented manufacturing in Norway… By co-investing in this initiative, we ensure that the unique infrastructure and competence GKN Aerospace now gets in Kongsberg becomes available to the broader Norwegian Industry.”

, Ole B. Hoen, Head of Kongsberg Technology Cluster

AirPro News Analysis

The shift from prototyping to industrialization marks a critical maturity point for additive manufacturing in aerospace. While AM has long been used for complex, low-volume parts, GKN’s move to deploy L-DED-w for large-scale structural components suggests a growing confidence in the technology’s reliability for serial production. Furthermore, the “Catapult” model, where private enterprise co-invests with government-backed entities to share infrastructure, mitigates the high capital risk of adopting these advanced technologies, potentially accelerating the “green shift” across the wider Norwegian supply chain.

Sources:
GKN Aerospace Press Release

This article is based on an official press release from GA Telesis.

GA Telesis MRO Services Group Secures Multi-Year Landing Gear Contract with Major Cargo Carrier

GA Telesis, LLC (“GAT”), a global leader in integrated commercial aviation and aerospace solutions, has announced the execution of a multi-year agreement with a major worldwide Cargo-Aircraft carrier. The contract, announced on December 11, 2025, tasks the company’s MRO Services Group with providing comprehensive landing gear overhaul and exchange services for the carrier’s widebody fleet.

The agreement marks a significant expansion for the company’s Landing Gear Services (LGS) division, which is based in Miami, Florida. According to the announcement, the deal emphasizes the use of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts and leverages GA Telesis’ specialized support teams to minimize aircraft downtime.

Scope of the Agreement

Under the terms of the new contract, GA Telesis will manage the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) requirements for a specific fleet of widebody aircraft operated by the undisclosed cargo carrier. The services will be performed at the company’s Miami facility, which has seen increased capacity following strategic expansions earlier this year.

Key components of the service agreement include:

• Landing Gear Exchange: A program designed to swap serviceable gears immediately for those needing repair, reducing the time an aircraft spends on the ground.
• OEM Parts Only Philosophy: A commitment to using exclusively Original Equipment Manufacturer parts to ensure reliability and safety.
• TIGER TEAM® Support: Access to a rapid-response mobile support team capable of addressing Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situations globally.

Pastor Lopez, President of GA Telesis MRO Services Group, highlighted the division’s focus on operational excellence in a statement regarding the deal.

“This agreement highlights our commitment to delivering quality, reliability, and world-class turnaround performance. We are honored to support one of the world’s premier cargo carriers…”

Strategic Momentum and Recent Wins

This announcement follows a period of rapid growth for GA Telesis’ MRO division. Just one week prior, on December 4, 2025, the company secured a five-year agreement with a major U.S. passenger carrier to overhaul landing gears for an Airbus A320 fleet. The ability to secure back-to-back contracts with both a major passenger airline and a global cargo operator suggests that the company’s capacity expansion is meeting market demand effectively.

Much of this capacity is attributed to the company’s acquisition of AAR CORP.’s Landing Gear Overhaul business in early 2025. That acquisition significantly bolstered the technical capabilities and physical footprint of the Miami facility, positioning GA Telesis as a leading independent provider of landing gear services in the Americas.

AirPro News Analysis

The timing of this agreement underscores the critical nature of supply chain reliability in the global air cargo market. Widebody freighters, such as the Boeing 747, 777, and 767, are the workhorses of international logistics. Landing gear overhauls are capital-intensive and time-consuming events; by opting for an “exchange” model, the cargo carrier is prioritizing fleet availability over the lower upfront costs sometimes associated with time-and-material repairs.

Furthermore, the “OEM Parts Only” stipulation is notable. In an industry where cost pressures often drive operators toward PMA (Parts Manufacturer Approval) alternatives or DER (Designated Engineering Representative) repairs, a strict adherence to OEM parts suggests a strategy focused on long-term asset value and maximum reliability, essential for high-utilization cargo fleets.

About GA Telesis MRO Services

GA Telesis MRO Services Group operates as a division of GA Telesis, LLC. The group specializes in component repair, composite repair, and landing gear overhaul. The Landing Gear Services (LGS) division focuses on maintaining a lean operation to eliminate waste and provide cost savings to customers while maintaining high Safety standards through its regulatory certifications.

Sources

• GA Telesis / PR Newswire