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GE Aviation Switches to Metal AM for Four Parts, Cutting Costs by 35%

Can metal additive manufacturing replace traditional casting in aviation sector? GE certainly seems to think so. A collaboration between GE Aviation and GE Additive has prompted the manufacturer to switch from investment casting to metal additive manufacturing (AM) for four&helli

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Can metal additive manufacturing replace traditional casting in aviation sector? GE certainly seems to think so. A collaboration between GE Aviation and GE Additive has prompted the manufacturer to switch from investment casting to metal additive manufacturing (AM) for four bleed air parts for a land/marine turbine. The team mentions the costs savings (with the four 3D printed parts expected to slice 35% of GE’s costs) and the faster time to market as the drivers behind the switch.

Casting, a manufacturing process where liquid material (often metal) is poured into a mold containing the desired shape is widely used especially in the aerospace sector where parts with a certain design are necessary. However, it can be costly and ineffective as manufacturers must invest in the cast itself which can then only make that single shape. Additionally, when that cast/material is no longer produced, then the parts cannot be either, resulting in older aircraft becoming obsolete as broken parts can no longer be replaced. As GE has found, metal additive manufacturing can directly address many of these issues.

GE Aviation often uses AM, for example the SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) has a 3D printed part. (Photo Credits: GE Aviation)

Why did GE switch to AM for these parts?

AM has been gaining in importance in a number of sectors and especially in aviation for a number of years now. For example, a 3D printed fuel nozzle tip for GE Aviation’s LEAP engine was able to consolidate 20 different parts into one single structure. Similarly, the new turboprop engine combined 855 parts into just 10 3D-printed components, saving both time and money. For this particular project, the company decided to use 3D printing for four parts destined for the LM90000, a land/marine turbine to see if metal additive manufacturing truly could go toe-to-toe with industrial casting. In this case, the answer was a resounding yes, as 3D printing was found to be more efficient, cost-effective and faster than the traditional casting process.