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costs at the same time. This is an engineer’s pass turbofan aircraft engines, which first entered service in 1995.
dream. I never imagined that this would be
possible,” he added. 3D-Printed products are It was in April 2015, that the first Federal Aviation Administration
not only lighter and more durable but they can (FAA) clearance was accorded to GE Aviation for the use of a
also be produced faster and a lower cost, with 3D-printed part in a commercial jet engine. A technology called
energy savings and reduced carbon emissions. selective laser sintering (SLS) system was used to produce a
GE Aviation is now using a dozen 3D-printed sensor housing for a compressor inlet temperature sensor and
parts to replace 855 components on a new the part was used in more than 400 GE90-94B engines that pow-
advanced turboprop engine that is in devel- ered Boeing 777 jets. The high-quality components are fabricated
opment. This has had the effect of reducing using an AM process with cobalt-chrome alloy powder as the build
the number of contractors required to produce material. The compressor inlet temperature sensor experiences
these parts and has also delivered benefits in surging airflows and significant icing inside the engine and contain
streamlining the supply chain. highly sensitive electronics for the temperature sensor that need
to be protected. AM processes are also being used to fabricate
Industry Leader aircraft parts used in ducting systems along with other components.
More than 30,000th additively-manufactured
fuel nozzle tips have now been produced by Sophisticated tools for the aerospace industry are now also being

GE Aviation at its plant in Auburn, Alabama, made using AM processes.
USA. Production of the nozzle tip began in 2015 A trim-and-drill tool that would help Boeing manufacture aircraft
and more than 40 printers are now used to wings for its 777X was fabricated by researchers at Oak Ridge
make these parts from a metal powder. “This National Laboratory (ORNL) in 2016. The effort resulted in a 17.5
milestone isn’t just about reaching production feet long, 5.5 feet wide and 1.5 feet tall special tool, which weighed
of 30,000 fuel nozzle tips. The team should 1,650-lb and took approximately 30 hours to print from carbon
also be proud for their role in helping prove fiber and composite plastics. It was subsequently certified as the
additive technology works in mass production largest solid object ever created on a 3D printer by The Guinness
for our business and others who buy GE tech- Book of World Records
nology,” said Ricardo Acevedo, plant leader for
GE Aviation Auburn, when the milestone was Another Pioneer
achieved in October 2018. “We’re leading the Pratt & Whitney has pioneered additive manufacturing since the
way of mass producing additive parts for the 1980s and has made more 100,000 additively-manufactured pro-
industry. We’re continuously looking at ways of totypes (including tooling and development engine hardware). The
expanding the possibilities for the business,” company has made hundreds of additively-manufactured parts to
Acevedo added. This is industry’s first site for support development of the PurePower Geared Turbofan family
mass production using the additive manufac- of engines, several of which have been flight tested and enabled
turing process. GE Aviation’s next-generation some of the unique attributes of the PurePower engine. 48 new
GE9X will use 19 3D-printed fuel nozzles. The technologies were matured to enable the GTF engine’s benefits
GE9X will replace the GE90 series of high-by- and United Technologies Corp. has also established a US$75M

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