Page 24 - AAA MARCH - APRIL 2019 Online Magazine

Rolls-Royce has already flown world’s largest 3-D printed aero-
space structure within the Trent XWB-97 engine during a test in
2015. The Advance3 engine has already crossed more than 100
hours on test and initial results are showing excellent performance
from parts made by 3D printing and also made from ceramic matrix
composites, which last longer in high temperatures and are lighter
than metal alternatives. The engine features around 20,000 parts
in total. 3D printing allows Rolls-Royce engineers to quickly create
new designs for parts, produce them in short order and reduce
redesign times where needed.

“TESTING SO FAR HAS BEEN COMPLETELY
Additive Manufacturing Center of Expertise SEAMLESS, WHICH IS AN OUTSTANDING
near its East Hartford campus. This facility is ACHIEVEMENT WHEN YOU REALISE THAT THIS IS
being used to accelerate AM implementation
across the company’s product lines. AN ENGINE INCORPORATING A RANGE OF NEW
TECHNOLOGIES AS WELL AS A BRAND NEW CORE
Pratt & Whitney also announced at the 2018 ARCHITECTURE. WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR FIRST
Farnborough Airshow, that it would partic- PHASE OF TESTING AND ANALYSING THE RESULTS
ipate in an industry team developing and
testing additively manufactured turbomachin- RIGHT NOW. WE LIKE WHAT WE SEE FROM THE
ery components. This would also include the CMC AND ALM PARTS PERFORMANCE,”
first additively manufactured rotating part for Ash Owen, Rolls-Royce, Chief Engineer, Civil Aerospace
Pratt & Whitney development programmes. The Demonstrator Programmes.
team is made up of Norsk Titanium, the Notre
Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (NDTL) and AM processes also help deliver increased production efficiency,
TURBOCAM International. “We are excited to with the ability to manufacture designs and shapes that were simply
collaborate on these manufacturing and test- not possible using conventional methods. The UltraFan engine will
ing efforts and applications for future engine offer a 25 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency compared with
development,” said Dave Carter, senior vice a first generation Trent engine.
president, Engineering, at Pratt & Whitney.
“Pratt & Whitney is a 3D printing leader and MTU Aero Engines Steps Up Efforts
has been steadily increasing the use of addi- Germany’s leading engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines, made
tive manufacturing techniques for the past 30 its first foray into additive manufacturing more than ten years ago
years. Working with Norsk, the Notre Dame and at the beginning of 2018, the company set up a separate
Turbomachinery Laboratory and TURBOCAM department, headed up by Dr. Jürgen Kraus, Director, Additive
will accelerate already successful efforts to Manufacturing to push additive manufacturing technology forward.
incorporate additively manufactured parts into “By pulling all activities – from design to technology development
our production engines.” and all the way to production – together in one unit, we want to
maintain and build our competitive edge,” comments MTU Chief
Norsk Titanium’s Rapid Plasma Deposition Operating Officer Lars Wagner. Experts estimate that by 2030,
(RPD) material technology is being explored parts manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques will
by the joint team for use in turbomachinery account for at least 15 percent of the overall engine. “With the devel-
applications and as part of this effort, the Notre opment of new machine types and improved online process control,
Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory will test an it will be possible to produce an increasing number of components
additively manufactured, integrally bladed rotor by additive manufacturing in a cost-effective manner,” explains Dr.
(IBR) produced to meet the applicable quality Jörg Henne, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Technology.
specifications used in Pratt & Whitney’s current The team of 30 professionals will now look into new conceptual
turbomachinery products. The initial test IBR designs of applications and constructions from a bionics viewpoint,
will be machined by TURBOCAM International. push the development of the production technology forward, and
industrialize the entire process chain. Germany’s leading engine
New Developments manufacturer has ambitious plans: “We are currently pressing on
Rolls-Royce’s Advance3 technology demon- with additive manufacturing, giving its further development top
strator engine which will provide both priority in numerous technology projects and technology funding
technology and a new core for Rolls-Royce programs,” said Chief Operating Officer Wagner. The technology
UltraFan engine design, will also feature exten- opens the door to entirely new designs, substantial reduction in
sive use of 3D printed parts. The Rolls-Royce development, production and lead times, and real savings in pro-
UltraFan engine will be available from 2025. duction costs. The additive manufacturing process used at MTU is

24 | March/April 2019 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ AAA