Aero-Engine Business and Material Technologies in Japan

Abstract

Japanese research activities on jet engines began in the 1940s and progressed as far as the test flight of the Ne-20 jet engine. All work was discontinued, however, at the end of World War II. After seven years, production of jet engines was permitted to resume, as the major defense equipment mainly under licenses with European and American manufacturers. Efforts were subsequently continued to develop more advanced technologies, which were then applied to design and manufacture the civil and military engines. Full-scale development of superalloys and other engine materials began in Japan as a part of multiple national programs aimed at developing new gas turbines. A number of original materials and process technologies have been studied. This paper addresses the current and future material technologies in Japan. Business Overview It is generally predicted that the number of airline passengers throughout the world will grow at a rate of about 5% per year until 2020. Demand is expected to grow rapidly especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The aero-engine industry in Japan has grown considerably in the last half century. Total production in fiscal 2001 was worth approximately $23 million, about twice the amount sold in fiscal 1985. Japanese production accounts for several percent of the total world market; it is equivalent to about one-ninth of the American production, and equal to the production of Germany or Canada. Despite the lingering affects of the war in Iraq and SARS, the long-term prospects for the aero-engine industry are strong, making it an exception to the general malaise that currently afflicts so many other Japanese industries. The nature of the business has changed drastically in recent years, as well. Although the field of defense retains its historical importance, it accounts for a decreasing share of total aero-engine sales, declining from 75% in the 1980s to about 60% today. In the past several years, it has been predicted that civil engines will eventually outsell those for military use. The other major change has been the expansion of related maintenance and service sectors, and the increased provision of component production services to the major manufacturers in the US and Europe. Generally speaking, maintenance and service industries are increasingly being localized, and production is becoming more specialized throughout the world. In the future, Japanese manufacturers expect to develop their own next-generation engines, one for patrol planes for defense, and one for small regional planes (50-seat class) for the civil market.