Electric motors & generators engineering . “These are big blades,” says Giorgio Abrate, general manager for engineering at Avio Aero. Image credit: Adam Senatori for GE Reports But additive allows you to get sophisticated and reduces costs at the same time. It was developing a 3D printed fuel nozzle for a new jet engine called the LEAP and working with Greg Morris, the founder of Morris Technologies and another leading light in the additive movement. More than a third of the ATP engine’s parts will be crafted in 3D printers. This week GE released this great GIF of its 1,300-horsepower advanced turboprop (ATP) engine in which more than one-third of … Every two weeks, engineers pitch their ideas to this diverse body, which includes employees from GE Aviation’s supply chain, engineering and engine product lines. “For us to step up and bet the engine on this technology is a big deal,” Robert Schafrik, then GE Aviation’s materials and process engineering general manager, told FlightGlobal. GE Aviation plans to mass-produce them on Concept Laser 3D printers. As a senior engineer for additive design at GE Aviation’s Additive Technology Center (ATC) in Cincinnati, in 2016 he helped bring to mass production a 3D-printed fuel nozzle that efficiently sprays fuel inside the LEAP jet engine. GE's dedicated team, leading technology, and global reach and capabilities help the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely. The 3D-printed blades spin inside the engine at 2,500 times per minute and face searing heat and titanic forces. Abrate reached out to Arcam to tweak the machine’s design, make the powder layer thicker and speed up the printing process. The technology's potential is enormous, but GE engineer Peter Martinello offers a dose of perspective. Explore the latest stories, news, downloads, and press tools. “When the project first came to us, we said, ‘This is an oddball, this is an outlier,'” Gatlin says. We connect capital to infrastructure and deliver innovative financial solutions that help make the world work better. They started by focusing on individual machines, but in the future, they will feed the data into the cloud, monitor the parameters across a whole fleet of printers and look for patterns that will allow them to spot potential problems early. By embracing diverse teams and perspectives, we are better equipped to build a world that works. It already was a single piece of metal, and because it’s already inside a working engine, the GEnx first flew in 2010, the designers had to stay close to drawings approved by the FAA. Explore a timeline of GE technologies that have spurred transformation across the world. Learn about governance at GE, including the latest Proxy Statement and information about the GE Board of Directors. The GE90 is one of the world’s most powerful jet engines. To move faster, the team decided to print the bracket from a cobalt-chrome alloy — rather than the original nickel-based superalloy, Inconel 625 — because the FAA already certified it for use inside engines. That's the step that GE Aviation took when it recently fired up a simple jet engine made entirely of 3D-printed parts in a test stand normally reserved for commercial jet power plants. Our technology, global network, and exceptional team is fueled by a mission—building a world that works. Read the latest GE financial news releases and stories. We connect capital to infrastructure and deliver innovative financial solutions that help make the world work better. Our proprietary process optimizes every aspect of aerospace development and enables faster, more frequent, and lower cost access to space. The part (seen here) was a sensor housing for the jet engine. Jet engine designers love this strong, heat-resistant wonder material, also known as TiAl. “It’s a highly collaborative process,” Martinello says. Contact information for general inquiries and feedback. Aircraft engineering . “In the design of jet engines, complexity used to be expensive," Ehteshami says. Offering a suite of products to help unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing. The 3D printing factory, which looks like a blue and gray jewel box of steel and glass from the outside, holds 20 black, wardrobe-sized 3D printers, made by Arcam. Twenty parts were once machined together to construct part of the CFM Leap engine. That created some hand-wringing. GE Aviation plans to begin mass-producing the GEnx parts this month at its factory in Auburn, Alabama. I think that breeds a certain amount of excitement, a certain amount of energy, and requires a certain culture.” Image credit: GE Aviation. The company has completed testing of a demonstrator engine on which the ATP will be based that is made from more than 35 percent 3D-printed parts. We build intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services to enable healthcare practitioners to deliver care more efficiently and with better outcomes. Contact information for general inquiries and feedback. As a senior engineer for additive design at GE Aviation’s Additive Technology Center (ATC) in Cincinnati, in 2016 he helped bring to mass production a 3D-printed fuel nozzle that efficiently sprays fuel inside the LEAP jet engine. It weighs 50 percent less than the metal alloys typically used in aviation. GENERAL ELECTRIC, 763, DC TRACTION MOTOR, LOCOMOTIVE TRACTON MOTOR. Of those, one-third are new products like the Catalyst engine, but the rest involve redesigning existing parts like the bracket — a huge new market for additive manufacturing. “It looks like one of those woodblock puzzles, where all the pieces fit together,” Gatlin says. What if a fix was as simple as whipping up your own 3D printed parts? Access GE’s recent and historic Annual Reports and accompanying materials. Engineers working on the ATP are planning to run it for the first time in a special test cell in Prague, Czech Republic, later this year. Read on to see how. We’re continuing to do all we can to support our customers and employees during this unprecedented time. GE has received orders for 1,658 LEAP and other engines, which can each include up to 19 3D printed fuel nozzles. But take a short ride through the rolling fields of the fertile Po Valley that surround it and you’ll discover a startling contrast. “The location was part of our strategy,” Abrate says. “It took time for it to sink in, before we realized that this is exactly what additive can be used for, to demonstrate its speed and low cost.”. The submarine, however, had a secret weapon: a powerful Arcam printer that print parts from TiAl powder. Voices is a network for GE’s US supporters interested in the company’s impact in their communities and in issues that impact the company. Access the latest press releases, media contacts, and press tools. Access GE’s recent and historic Annual Reports and accompanying materials. Accomplished leaders building GE’s legacy. The Blade Runners: This Factory Is 3D Printing ... - GE.com Read the results of the 2020 GE Global Innovation Barometer, titled “Pride and Protectionism: A Quest for Innovation Agency.”. To do so, the team also had to “production-proof” the new line of printers for the part. Read the latest GE financial news releases and stories. 3D printing is still so new that Martinello, who is 37, is often learning on the job. Last year, a team of engineers at GE Aviation’s Additive Technology Center built an almost entirely 3D printed miniature jet engine — a backpack-size powerhouse that hits 33,000 rotations per minute. Image credit: GE Aviation. Read More Together with our customers, we’re proving that no one is ever limited to only affordable, reliable, or sustainable energy. “It’s not hard to walk into this building every morning and go to work,” says Eric Gatlin, a general manager for GE Aviation focusing on additive manufacturing. “I like to get my hands dirty and get to understand the inner working of the machine, rather than just churning out hardware,” he says. “This is true if you have to print just one part,” he says. The size of a walnut, this wickedly complex metal part was previously made from 20 components. Learn about governance at GE, including the latest Proxy Statement and information about the GE Board of Directors. This is an engineer’s dream." But the part for the GEnx, a simple bracket the size of a human rib that holds open the engine cover during servicing, had few of these qualities. Sixty other designs are being perfected, some reducing the number of parts … “At that point, we knew what to do,” Abrate says. A culture of integrity, compliance, safety, and respect for human rights, while reducing our environmental footprint. GE Aviation acquired Avio Aero in 2013 and developed the GE9X engine for Boeing’s next-generation 777X jets. When Avio Aero showed GE what it was doing with the wonder metal, the American company quickly grasped the magnitude of the breakthrough. Over the last 10 months, they've developed a new process to mass-print a much larger part for a version of the GEnx jet engine that powers the latest generation of Boeing 747s. “We called it ‘the submarine’ because it was so narrow you couldn’t walk past the people working with the machines.”. “They were already convinced,” Abrate says. Discover how our people & technology are solving global issues, improving lives, and changing industries. Access the latest press releases, media contacts, and press tools. They’ve identified more than 100 components that could be printed. GE's innovation engine where ideas become reality to create a better world and deliver differentiated tech across the company's industrial portfolio. We’re deeply proud of GE employees around the world rising to the challenge. 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