3D printing is revolutionizing aerospace technology: A functional jet engine consisting of only two components.
Intelligent design and customization of the printing process enable the seamless integration of all functionalities.
This breakthrough highlights the potential of 3D printing in the aerospace industry and calls for further education and creative thinking to fully exploit these opportunities.
Innovation in the Aerospace Sector Thanks to 3D Printing: A Two-Part Engine.
In a groundbreaking development in aerospace technology, we see how 3D printing is revolutionizing the manufacturing of jet engines. At the PTC LiveWorx 2023 conference in Boston, PTC showcased an impressive example: a functional jet engine manufactured in a single printing process. What makes it unique? These engines consist of just two components and are printed in Inconel, giving them an extremely light weight of only 3.6 kg.
The team at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology went even further. They utilized not only the precision of 3D printing to produce assemblies in one piece but also designed the interior of these components in a highly individualized way.
This allowed not only the stator and rotor but also all other functionalities to be seamlessly integrated. This intelligent design opens up entirely new possibilities and means that no extensive post-processing or assembly is required.
The result of this pioneering work is a functional micro-jet engine, with its rotor achieving an impressive 50,000 revolutions per minute. It serves not only as a technology demonstrator but also holds the potential for marketable products that could be used in commercial or military drones. Thanks to sophisticated Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) and a specially adapted printing strategy, the developers were able to optimize the interior of the turbine.
This innovation illustrates how 3D printing is pushing the boundaries of conventional manufacturing technologies and opening new paths for the aerospace industry. However, it also shows that success in 3D printing requires not only expertise in the process but also tools and solutions that translate this knowledge into practical applications. Further education and creative thinking are crucial to fully harness the possibilities of additive manufacturing.
