Collins Aerospace, a global leader in intelligent solutions for the aerospace and defence industries, has opened a new additive manufacturing center and expanded its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities at its Monroe, North Carolina campus. In 2021, the company completed a $30 million expansion of the site, and it has since invested an additional $15 million as part of the Monroe City Council and Union County Board of Commissioners’ MAGNET100 economic development incentive program.
Collins’ new additive manufacturing facility in Monroe has two 3D printers, with plans to add more in the future. The new facility will complement the company’s existing global network of additive manufacturing centers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Singapore, as well as additive research centers in Connecticut and Poland, in order to support the next generation of aircraft with cutting-edge systems and optimised designs.
“Through a process of joining materials layer upon layer to make parts from 3D model data, additive manufacturing offers several key benefits compared to traditional manufacturing. By using additive manufacturing to produce aircraft parts and components, we can help reduce weight, cost and time to market, and provide more sustainable solutions for our customers.”
– Kevin Myers, vice president, Operations for Collins Aerospace
Collins Aerospace Additive Manufacturing Center
Collins maintains a global network of 75 MRO sites to serve its global customer base as a leading provider of MRO services for aircraft systems. Collins’ 160,000-square-foot Monroe MRO facility, which opened in 2004, serves more than 300 customers in the aerospace and defence industries. The facility repairs over 6,500 distinct part numbers for commercial and military aircraft, including actuation systems, helicopter rescue hoists, and air management systems, as well as providing aircraft-on-the-ground services.
Collins has invested in the site, adding new advanced manufacturing equipment to streamline operations, improve quality control, and increase employee safety. Collins has also expanded Monroe’s workforce, hiring more than 70 new employees in the last year and continuing to hire for additional positions.
“Our Monroe site is one of Collins’ largest MRO facilities in the world, and the repairs we provide are essential to keeping our airline and military customers’ aircraft in service. We’re proud to call Monroe home, to continue to invest and grow in the community here, and to support the region’s growing aerospace cluster.”
– Mary DeStaffan, Monroe site general manager for Collins Aerospace
Monroe Mayor Marion Holloway stated, “Collins Aerospace is a vital corporate partner and a cornerstone of our aerospace cluster here in Monroe and Union County. Not only are we excited about the current success of the company and their investments here, but their continued commitment to the residents of our community.”
About Collins Aerospace: Collins Aerospace is a Raytheon Technologies Corp. unit with the extensive capabilities, comprehensive portfolio, and broad expertise to solve customers’ most difficult challenges and meet the demands of a rapidly changing global market.
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