Preform Consolidation for F135 Fan Inlet Case

As the F-35 Lightning II program continues to work toward full rate production, opportunities to reduce cost and improve throughput are being investigated, including efforts focused on the delivery of the F-135 engine. The F-135 Fan Inlet Case is the front-frame for the engine, which includes the front engine mounts and main shaft bearing support in addition to other functions. The complexity of the design for the Fan Inlet Case resulted in a manufacturing method with numerous preforms that must be joined together, creating opportunity for defects. The objective of this Composites Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC) project is to optimize the preform count and improve joint design of candidate preforms to improve quality, reduce labor, and improve rate. These objectives will be accomplished by advancements in manufacturing technology related to modified tooling, assembly aids and automated preform layup.

The business case will be updated periodically throughout execution of the project. Five-year savings are currently estimated to be over $6.0M. Savings for the total life of this specific program could be between $13.0M and $22.0M.

Upon successful completion of this project, there will be sufficient justification to incorporate the validated changes into the production definition, which requires completion of quality system requirements and program approvals. This process could begin in 1Q FY2026.

*Prepared under ONR Contract N00014-21-D-7001 as part of the Navy ManTech Program.

*DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. DCN# 2024-11-6-309; Approval Date: 11/14/2024