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Video: GE Builds Tiny 3-D Printed Jet Engine
Engineers at General Electric have created a tiny jet engine using 3-D printing techniques that they say could rewrite the rules for how components inside commercial turbine engines are produced. The mini jet engine project was completed at GE Aviation's Additive Development Center outside Cincinnati. The lab focuses on developing additive manufacturing techniques that can produce complex 3-D structures by melting metal powders and laying them in super thin layers until something miraculous… (www.flyingmag.com) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
The article says that GE has also certified a printed part for their GE90 commercial engine. It seams that entire printed commercial engines are just around the corner.
Airbus is already using 3D printing for complex wing components, so engine components seems a logical next step.
Could it power a bicycle?Golf cart?
To this day there is not an ISO standard for the materials. Each of the machine vendors has their own version of whatever the metal. The reason is that the vendor will sell you a system for "cheap" but then charge you an arm or leg for the material. Very similar to the ink jet printers business model.
That's 50% off an arm and a leg! Prices are already coming down.
....that's only a forearm and shin....!