UTC Aerospace Systems
Aerospace systems manufacturer applying metal and polymer additive manufacturing to produce flight-critical components like 3D-printed titanium landing gear and conformal heat exchangers, reducing weight and lead times.
- CEO / Founder
- Karl Krapek
- Team Size
- 5001-10000
- Stage
- Acquired
- Key Investors
- J.F. Lehman & Co.
Technology & Products
Key Products
3D-printed titanium landing gear components; 3D-printed conformal heat exchangers; FDM prototypes of aerospace components
Technological Advantage
UTC Aerospace Systems established an Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence and collaborated with UTRC, Pratt & Whitney, Stratonics, and 3DSIM to quantify the link between PBF process parameters and product characteristics, addressing risks in in-situ defect detection and non-destructive inspection. This vertically integrated R&D approach, combined with NASA-industry standards participation, provides a regulatory and process-knowledge advantage in qualifying AM hardware for flight. However, the core AM processes are replicable by competitors; the advantage lies in organizational scale and aerospace systems integration rather than proprietary technology.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Reduces production lead times and costs through in-house additive manufacturing, enabling lighter-weight aerospace components and faster prototyping while meeting rigorous certification standards.
How They Differentiate
UTC Aerospace Systems leveraged its scale and UTC's central research to be an early adopter of metal AM for flight hardware, participating in NASA standards development, while many competitors were still in lab phase. However, after merging into Collins Aerospace, its AM capability is integrated into a larger portfolio.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus, plus military and space programs
Industry Verticals
Aerospace; Defense; Space; Undersea
Competitors
GKN Aerospace; Spirit AeroSystems; Honeywell Aerospace
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Estimated annual revenue of $2.1B; ~6,000 employees
Major Milestones
2012: Formed from combination of Goodrich and Hamilton Sundstrand; 2013: Opened Charlotte, NC headquarters; 2015: Opened advanced Materials and Process Engineering lab in Windsor Locks, CT; 2018: Merged with Rockwell Collins to form Collins Aerospace
Notable Customers
Boeing; Airbus; Embraer; U.S. Department of Defense
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 1
- Granted
- 0
- Families
- 1
Leading domains: material (1), process (1)
Filings by year: 2021: 1
- HEAT EXCHANGERS04070957 · EP
Equipment deals on record
Publicly disclosed purchases or installs only.
- Fortus 900mc 3D Production System
Not disclosed
Buyer: UTC Aerospace Systems (Aerostructures) · Supplier: Stratasys