Engineers at GE Aviation’s Additive Development Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, recently took the company’s additive manufacturing technology to a new level by 3D-printing a working, simple jet engine capable of hitting 33,000 RPM.
GE Aviation utilizes an additive manufacturing process that features a laser to melt layer after layer of metal powder until eventually a custom part is created.
This process ensures strong metal parts are made, with potential applications in the real world.
In fact, some 3D-printed parts have already been approved for use in planes by the FAA. Crazy stuff, right!?
The miniature jet engine GE built is merely a modified version of one you’d find in an RC model plane.
Because of this knowledge, the engine is being describe as simple when compared to the jet engines powering modern airliners.
However, the engine represents what many in aerospace and other industries hope 3D-printing can eventually become, which is an intricate part of modern manufacturing.
