GE Aviation was selected by Aviation Week & Space Technology as a winner of the 62nd annual Laureate Awards, honoring extraordinary achievements in aerospace.
The Laureate Awards recognizes innovators that represent the values and vision of the global aerospace community, changing the way people work and move through the world.
“For more than six decades, Aviation Week editors have annually awarded Laureates to great achievers in aerospace and aviation,” said Aviation Week Network Editorial Director Joe Anselmo. “GE Aviation and this year’s winners exemplify the spirit and innovations that are transforming our industry to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
GE Aviation received a Laureate Award in the Business Aviation category because of its innovative work with additive manufacturing design and implementation for the GE Catalyst turboprop engine. The Catalyst is the first clean-sheet turboprop engine to enter the Business and General Aviation market in more than 30 years. It includes more printed components than any production engine in aviation history.
“It is a privilege to be recognized with a Laureates Award, one of the highest honors in the Aviation industry,” said Brad Mottier, GE Aviation Vice President and General Manager for Business and General Aviation & Integrated Systems. “The Catalyst turboprop is a gamechanger for the business and general aviation market. The incredible work that this team is executing on will no doubt benefit future additive manufacturing engine design and production methods across the aviation industry.”
More than 800 conventionally manufactured parts have been reduced to 12 additive parts on the engine. Additive components reduce the Catalyst's weight by 5 percent while contributing a 1 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption (SFC). Thanks to additive manufacturing, the Catalyst program has benefited in the development of the engine with a reduction of cycle time, as well as fewer first article inspections, less inventory, fewer defect opportunities and reduction in tooling costs.
The GE Catalyst engine was chosen by Textron to power the new Cessna Denali and is going through certification testing. GE’s work on its newest turboprop has been a worldwide collaboration, with dedicated teams located in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Italy (Avio Aero) and the U.S.
This is GE Aviation’s third Laureate Award in the last five years. Mottier (2014, Business/General Aviation) and GE Aviation additive manufacturing pioneer Greg Morris (2015, IT/Electronics) also received the honor. The Bombardier Global 7500, powered by GE’s Passport engine, was recognized as the Grand Laureate winner in the Business Aviation category.
The Laureates Awards were presented on March 14 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
For more information on the GE Catalyst, visit https://www.geaviation.com/bga/engines/ge-catalyst.
About GE Aviation
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.
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