Rolls-Royce vs. GE Aviation: Who Will Be the Biggest Beneficiary of 3D Printing Technology?
Shanghai, Dec. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- From March 12-14, 2015, at the Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo Exhibition & Convention Center Henry Peng Dr. will represent Greg Morris at the TCT Asia Summit to be held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, discussing the latest developments in GE Aviation’s 3D printing technology. The organizers of the TCT Asia Summit, VNU Exhibitions Asia, stated that Dr. from GKN Aerospace will also present research progress on 3D-printed aero-engine turbine blades. Prior to joining GKN, Dr. was responsible for R&D and design work on the Airbus and Bloodhound (supersonic car) projects. Dan Johns The doctor will also share research progress on aerospace engine blade printing. Prior to joining GKN, Dan Johns the doctor was responsible for R&D and design work on the Airbus and Bloodhound (supersonic car) projects.
GE9X in Boeing 777X and Rolls-Royce Trent 900 in Airbus A380
The low-pressure turbine blades of aircraft engines are the next frontier for 3D printing technology. The world’s four major aero-engine manufacturers have successively announced plans to use 3D printing in various fields. Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of UTC, announced that it will use 3D printing to manufacture inner compression blades for jet engines and has established an additive manufacturing center at the University of Connecticut. Honeywell subsequently announced that it will use 3D printing to build heat exchangers and metal frameworks. GE Aviation and Rolls-Royce, also among the big four in aero-engine manufacturing, are even more enthusiastic about 3D printing technology than Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell.
After acquiring Morris Technologies, GE Aviation announced on July 15 of last year that it would fully integrate the former Morris Technologies into GE Aviation, and for the first time, use selective laser sintering technology to mass-produce jet engine components at its Alabama plant. Due to the difficulty of machining titanium aluminide alloy materials into their final shapes, GE Aviation has recently decided to apply this technology to the low-pressure turbine blades of the GE9X engine, which will be used in future models of the Boeing 777 series. GE Aviation believes that 3D printing technology has matured sufficiently to enable the production of thousands of fuel nozzles or low-pressure turbine blades within a year.
Compared to GE Aviation’s gradual buildup, Rolls-Royce has taken a more steady and progressive approach. In 2008, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace established a joint venture to research the application of composite materials in aero-engine fan blades, aiming to provide lightweight, low-cost fan blades for next-generation aircraft. This initiative will make extensive use of 3D printing technology. At the same time, GKN has also assisted Airbus (formerly EDAG Group) in printing titanium alloy structures, and the Airbus A380 uses Rolls-Royce’s Trent 900 series engines.
Who Will Be the Biggest Beneficiary of 3D Printing Technology? Rolls-Royce or GE Aviation? The answer is expected to become clear at next year’s TCT Asia Summit. Both engine manufacturers have been applying additive manufacturing technology to aero-engine R&D for over a decade. It’s still difficult to predict who will come out on top, but this will undoubtedly be a long-term competition.
For more up-to-date information, please visit the event’s official website http://www.tctasia.com.cn or follow “TCT Asia” on WeChat. Learn about the 3D technologies, applications, and solutions from global leaders such as the U.S.’s Stratasys, MakerBot, Germany’s EOS, Sweden’s Arcam, the U.K.’s Renishaw, Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies, UnionTech 3D, and Germany’s SLM, and welcome to pre-register for free at the exhibition visitor registration channel to receive a complimentary annual subscription to the Chinese edition of TCT News magazine, get the latest industry forum updates first, and be eligible to win conference attendance and other attractive prizes. -- 3D technologies, applications, and solutions from companies such as the U.S.'s Stratasys, MakerBot, Germany's EOS, Sweden's Arcam, the UK's Renishaw, Xi'an Bright Laser Technologies, LianTai 3D, and Germany's SLM are featured. Welcome to enter the exhibition’s visitor pre-registration channel to sign up for free. Receive the benefit of a full-year complimentary subscription to the Chinese edition of TCT News magazine, get the latest updates on industry forums as soon as they're available, and win admission to the event and other attractive prizes.