The U.S. corporate conglomerate, General Electric (GE, Financial) refers 3D printing to be one of the best evolutions in modern history, and has stated that it will earmark a new revolution by offering several advantages. GE is trying to use 3D printing for development of parts which would otherwise require considerable investment if were to be produced by the conventional manufacturing process. And it also aims to be the market leader in 3D printing in the forthcoming years. Let’s take a sneak peek at what GE wants to achieve with 3D printing, but before that let’s understand the crux of the 3D printing concept.
What is 3D printing
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the series of processes for making a three-dimensional object of almost any shape from a 3D model or any electronic data source primarily through additive processes which refers to embedding successive layers of material under computer control. A 3D printer is a type of ‘industrial robot’.
According to GE’s general manager for technology Christine Furstoss, 3D printing is just another way of producing parts efficiently with lesser time consumption. She states- “It's a way to change how I work. It's a way to say, I can introduce products faster than ever before.” Because additive manufacturing offers the opportunity to conduct prototyping faster. In simple terms, 3D printing enhances the efficiency of parts production as it accelerates the drawing and designing processes by aiding in quick printing of the prototype design.
3D printing in aviation sector
The aerospace industry is keen for 3D printing as this technology helps in savings costs, reduces output time and allows improved innovation.
In 3D printing the raw material cost is literally saved than in traditional manufacturing, because the process is additive rather than subtractive (as in traditional manufacturing) leading to lesser waste generation. Also, with this tool various product designs can be made which would not be possible to manufacture through the conventional process.
One of the biggest factors in the aviation industry is the weight of the aircraft as even minor reductions in weight can lead to huge savings in fuel costs. Through this revolutionary process, components can be constructed in such a way so that they are lighter than their counterparts produced using traditional manufacturing techniques. So, GE is eager to utilize this concept to its ultimate advantage. Here’s how.
GE making quick inroads
General Electric’s big push into 3D printing started when it acquired Morris Technologies in late 2012. This acquisition gave GE a full scale 3D-production-facility near its aviation division’s Ohio headquarters.
In early 2013, GE announced its plans to use the concept to produce the fuel nozzles for its new LEAP jet-engine which would have 19 fuel nozzles. Making the fuel nozzle with the advanced process reduced the parts required in production from 20 to just one. Taking the firm LEAP engine orders into consideration, GE needs to fabricate nearly 85,000 nozzles. The company is aiming to produce 45,000 fuel nozzles annually through the 3D printing operations but hitting the target might take the better part of this decade. According to company officials, GE is slated to produce close to 100,000 printed parts for aviation by 2020.
The success in jet engine nozzle production will lead to further investment across its industrial business segments – GE is looking forward to use the technology in the oil and gas, power and water, healthcare and transportation sectors. The company will eventually find new ways to make these operational sectors more competitive by pushing the limits of 3D printing from just parts to entire processes in the long run.
GE is investing $50 million on setting up a new 3D-manufacturing facility at its existing operations in Auburn. Equipment installation is expected to begin later this year while fuel nozzle 3D-production will probably start next year. The 3D printed fuel nozzles will be used in the LEAP jet engine that will enter service in 2016 and will power aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
Final thoughts
The transition of 3D printing from parts to processes for GE will take some time, but the company has already pushed the envelope by integrating 3D printing into a new era of manufacturing. This technological revolution is only at its nascent stages and GE is already interested to harness the benefits from this new technology. It can be mentioned that 3D printing technology would take GE to newer heights, but as this revolution is not going to happen overnight let’s stay tuned and keep watching the 3D-printing space.
