Duncan Aviation has embarked on a significant expansion of its turbine engine overhaul facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. This expansion follows an announcement made during the 2023 NBAA BACE convention in Las Vegas by Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) designating Duncan Aviation’s MRO facility in Lincoln as a DOF, or Designated Overhaul Facility, for PW300 and PW500 turbofan engines.
The DOF designation enables the Duncan Aviation Lincoln facility to conduct hot sections and overhauls on a range of P&WC turbofan engines, including the 530A, 535A, 535B, 535E, 545A, 545B, 545C, 305A, 305B, 306A, 306C, 307A, 307D, 308A, and 308C models. Hot section inspection services will be operational by the end of 2024, with full overhaul capabilities coming online during 2025.
This new authorization is a testament to Duncan Aviation’s relationship with P&WC.
Justin Merkling, Manager of Engine Services in Battle Creek, Michigan, and a key player working with Pratt & Whitney on the DOF authorization, said Duncan Aviation has been a strong collaborator with P&WC for more than 30 years.
“Pratt & Whitney trusts us because we do what we say and stand behind our quality,” Merkling said.
Construction Underway
The expansion construction is adjacent to Duncan Aviation’s Honeywell Authorized Service Facility. Spanning 36,000 square feet, the additional DOF facility will feature 12 engine maintenance bays, dedicated storage racks, a new parts inventory warehouse, and expanded backshops.
In commitment to the P&WC authorization, Duncan Aviation has invested more than $55 million in safety enhancements, advanced machinery, and team member training and growth. Safety measures include installing an overhead crane system to improve productivity and safety, enabling easy lifting and precise placement of engine components during assembly and disassembly. A floor-mounted rotating jib crane with a 500-pound capacity facilitates comprehensive, 360-degree engine inspections.
Atec, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is contracted to engineer and construct a new engine test cell (15,000 lb. Thrust Class) and control room. It will sit next to the test cell Atec built for Duncan Aviation in 2017.
In-house capabilities will expand with additional tooling and equipment, including a coordinate measuring machine for dimensional inspections, a bearing inspection room, vertical and horizontal balancers, and an Aerospect Measurement and Stack Prediction System for compressor stack measurements and vertical engine alignments. The facility will also house a vertical grinding machine for shroud segment grinding in the hot section and a thermal spray booth for internal parts repairs, resulting in significant time savings for customers.
In-house engine capabilities such as a clean room, media blasting machines, shot peen equipment, a paint booth, NDT capabilities, and a balance room are improving, expanding, and centrally located to facilitate maintenance team efficiencies between all OEM-authorized operations.
Labor & Training
The P&W maintenance team at Duncan Aviation will expand to six dedicated engine technicians in anticipation of increased service demands, with a projection of needing 50 dedicated P&W technicians within 10 years.
Duncan Aviation also plans to extend its expertise by training and equipping additional teams at its MRO locations in Provo, Utah, and Battle Creek, Michigan, as well as AOG Rapid Response Teams to conduct hot section inspections on PW500 engines in the field.
Scott Stoki, Duncan Aviation’s Manager of Pratt & Whitney Engine Overhaul Services in Lincoln, said Duncan Aviation’s engine program is not finished growing. “This expansion is an opportunity not only to meet our immediate needs but to prepare for future opportunities. We make every expansion and equipment purchase decision to ensure we are in an excellent position to seamlessly transition into servicing larger and higher-thrust engine platforms in the future.”
The expansion of Duncan Aviation’s turbine engine overhaul services underscores the company’s commitment to Pratt & Whitney, P&WC’s engines, and their mutual customers. Duncan Aviation says it is ready to deliver a product that meets the high-quality standards that P&WC demands for its DOF collaborators.