06-11-2013: GE held the first-ever competition to redesign and improve real production parts using AM
The goal was to create a new bracket design that supports critical jet engine components
On June 11, 2013, GE Aviation - the world's largest supplier of jet engines, announced global 3D printing initiative at the RAPID 2013 conference. One of these endeavors was the 3D Printing Design Quest, which focused on designing a lighter aircraft engine support. The goal was to create a new bracket design that supports critical jet engine components during service, reducing its weight by 30%. The competition was held in cooperation with the GrabCAD platform.
The competition aimed to encourage the community of engineers, designers and materials scientists to cooperate and jointly develop 3D printing technology in the context of industrial applications. Michael Idelchik, head of advanced technology research at GE, emphasized at the time that the potential of this technology goes beyond single components, enabling the optimization of more complex parts, which could bring significant benefits in the aerospace industry (which, years later, turned out to be the ultimate truth).
Participants had to design a bracket that would meet strength and vibration resistance requirements while being lighter than traditional models. Many innovative projects were submitted to the competition, which were then analyzed using simulations. The top ten designs were selected for production using 3D printing technology and subjected to rigorous stress testing at GE's Global Research Center in Niskayuna.
The first prize of $7,000 was won by M Arie Kurniawan from Salatiga, Indonesia. His bracket design weighed only 327 grams, a reduction of almost 84% compared to the original bracket weighing 2,033 grams. The Kurniawan design, inspired by the H beam profile, was characterized by high stiffness while maintaining low weight.
The remaining projects that made it to the top eight shared the prize pool of $20,000. GE Aviation, in cooperation with GrabCAD, produced and tested the best designs at its facility in Cincinnati. This competition not only allowed for the optimization of a specific component, but also opened the door to further cooperation with participants who may become future GE suppliers.
The 3D Printing Design Quest competition showed that 3D printing has the potential to transform the aerospace manufacturing process, enabling the creation of lighter and more durable components, which translates into fuel savings and improved jet engine efficiency.
It was also one of the first steps into what we deal with every day in the context of using industrial AM.
Source: www.3ders.org