GE Additive is working on the development of larger and lighter additive parts. It is part of a European consortium led by GE Aerospace Advanced Technology in Munich that has created one of the largest metal 3D printing aerospace parts ever - a part that also demonstrated significant cost, weight, and time savings.
The EU's European Green Deal mandates a 90% reduction in transport emissions by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels), and aviation will play a role. Future priorities include financial and regulatory measures to drive low-emissions aviation, and the urgent development of clean-slab frameworks, new aircraft engines and propulsion systems, and sustainable aviation fuels.
Based in Munich, Germany, the GE Aerospace Advanced Technologies (GE AAT) Munich team leads the three core partnerships in the Clean Sky 2 program to identify engine hardware, benefits, design, manufacturing process, and links to the program's goals, working closely with GE Aerospace plants in Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, and Turkey, as well as external partners.
One of the partners led by GE AAT in Munich is the Turbine Technology Project (TURN), which aims to accelerate the technology maturity of future aero engines. This also includes design and production, validation and qualification of coupons and key components, and final delivery of full-scale metal 3D printing enclosures.
After nearly six years of R&D and engineering, the consortium recently unveiled the design of a large TCF housing using GE Additive's nickel alloy 718 direct metal laser melting (DMLM) technology. The TCF housing is one of the largest additively manufactured parts ever produced for the aerospace industry.
The additively-manufactured TCF casing is designed for narrow-body engines, with parts around a meter in diameter or larger. Gain a competitive business advantage using this one-piece design solution to produce this large engine hardware while reducing cost, weight, and manufacturing cycle time.
“We wanted to reduce the weight of the part by 25% while improving the pressure loss of the secondary airflow, and drastically reduce the number of parts to improve maintenance,” says the Technical and Operations Manager at GE AAT Munich.
The switch from traditional casting to 3D printing resulted in a 30% reduction in cost and weight. The consolidation combined more than 150 parts into one, reducing lead time from over nine months to just two and a half months.
The team can be proud of the result. “These goals were met and exceeded. We were ultimately able to reduce weight by about 30 percent. The team also reduced manufacturing lead times by about 75 percent from nine months to two and a half months. The 150 that makes up the traditional turbine center frame shell Several separate parts have been integrated into a single-piece design," adds Wilfert.
3D printing reduces the weight of printed parts through low-density materials; at the same time, topology optimization design reduces the use of materials and improves the stability of printed parts. Therefore, through 3D printing, parts can be reduced in weight, which can reduce exhaust emissions in the aerospace and automotive industries, and is conducive to the sustainable development of the environment. If you need 3D printing, our company can provide you with better service.