Collins Aerospace Launches Wolverhampton Facility for Electric Actuation

The site centers on the company’s elecTRAS technology, which eliminates hydraulic fluids to cut nacelle actuation weight by up to 20%. By simulating real-world flight conditions on-site, engineers can integrate early-stage test data into their design analysis, identifying potential hardware failures before they reach the production line. This modular approach allows for rapid scalability across multiple aircraft programs, reducing both development timelines and overhead costs.

Ajay Mahajan, president of Advanced Structures, stated that the center aligns with broader industry goals to transition toward more-electric aircraft architectures. Beyond testing, the facility houses specialized teams working on motor control and smart algorithms. This technology is already established in the commercial sector; the elecTRAS system has logged over 15 million flight hours and 2.2 million cycles on the Airbus A350 fleet since its deployment.