The test points to a production strategy built around speed and manufacturing flexibility. Pratt & Whitney said the work is aimed at rising demand for expendable engines.
Nearly 60% of the TJ150 engine by volume was produced through additive manufacturing. That included major static and rotating hardware, according to the company.
The demonstration focused on material behaviour in an operational setting. Pratt & Whitney also tested durability against expected mission demands.
The TJ150 is part of a wider push to simplify engine design for high-volume production. That matters for expendable propulsion, where missions may last minutes or hours.
“For expendable engines like the TJ150, where missions can last minutes or hours, simplifying the design and scaling production quickly is essential to meeting rising demand,” said Jill Albertelli, president of Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney. “Additive manufacturing helps us move designs from concept to capability faster, and we are leveraging what we learned on the TJ150 to benefit other programs, including the Pratt & Whitney Valox™ engine family.”
Pratt & Whitney said it has made targeted investments in additive manufacturing for the TJ150. The work supports the company’s longer-term producibility and scalability plan.
The company has consolidated more than 50 hot-section components into a handful of additively manufactured parts. It has also tested a 3D-printed rotating turbine wheel.
Those steps led to the TJ150 configuration used in the latest demonstration. Pratt & Whitney said the lessons will also support other engine lines, including the Valox family.
For RTX, the test gives Pratt & Whitney another data point for using additive manufacturing in military propulsion. It also supports a faster production model for engines built for short-duration, expendable missions.
