TEMPE, Ariz. — Honeywell Aerospace plans to invest $500 million in a new manufacturing facility in Tempe, Arizona, to expand production capacity for commercial aviation and defense programs. The company expects the 300,000-square-foot facility to open in late 2028.
The expansion will add complex machining capabilities, allowing Honeywell Aerospace to manufacture more components internally rather than relying entirely on outside suppliers. The company identified complex machining as an area facing supply chain constraints.
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Digital manufacturing and automation
Honeywell Aerospace plans to equip the facility with modular robotics, automated inspection equipment and an integrated digital production system. The company will also incorporate digital twins, which use virtual models to represent physical equipment or manufacturing processes. These models can help engineers look at production activities and uncover potential problems.
An end-to-end digital thread will connect information across manufacturing operations, so teams can track and manage production data throughout the process. Together, these technologies will support a more integrated manufacturing operation as Honeywell Aerospace boosts production of aircraft systems and components.
Supporting aircraft and defense programs
The facility will manufacture products associated with Honeywell Aerospace's Assure advanced actuation systems and Attune vapor cycle cooling subsystems. Actuation systems control mechanical movement in aircraft equipment, while vapor cycle cooling systems manage temperatures through refrigeration-based cooling.
Honeywell Aerospace says the expansion will support existing customer programs and a $15 billion in new Control Systems program wins. The company also plans to use the extra capacity to support defense technologies covered by a supplier framework agreement it signed with the U.S. Department of War in March.
Jobs and production capacity
Honeywell Aerospace expects the facility to create approximately 600 jobs over time, expanding its engineering and manufacturing workforce. The company estimates that construction will support more than 1,000 local jobs.
The investment follows the company's recent separation into an independent, publicly traded aerospace and defense business.
