Research shows: 3D printing repairing gas turbine engine has a 180% higher return on investment than labor

February 25, 2020, headquartered in Mexico3D printingSolution provider Optomec has released an independent study showing that automated laser cladding3D printingIt is useful for gas turbine engine maintenance.
The research was commissioned by Optomec, Terry VanderWert, who has 40 years of experience in laser processing technology, and concluded that automated metal additive manufacturing solutions can provide a 180% higher return on investment than the manual processes used today .


Aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul

Reliability and quality are essential to the aviation industry. The longer the operation time of the aircraft, the greater the pressure on the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service center, so the service center must optimize its work efficiency and quality.
The leading aviation publication “Aviation Weekly” even cited the shortage of parts as a key trend of its top ten forecasts for the MRO market in 2020.

Automatic laser cladding for gas turbine

The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of automated laser cladding technology to help MRO service centers and aircraft engine manufacturers maintain high standards while speeding up repairs.
The information provided in the study includes a thorough comparison of manual welding technology and automatic laser cladding technology to repair the blade tip. This consists of quality comparison, cost comparison and in-depth ROI comparison. The study also detailed other relevant business considerations, such as the need for processes that can be adapted to different components, metal finishing technology after cladding, and the development of optimization practices for maintenance tool path procedures.

Mike Dean, Optomec Marketing Director, said: “The world’s leading airlines use automatic laser cladding for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), but today, about 80% of blade repairs are still done manually. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate. How can a small service center use laser cladding while achieving a return on investment and improving the quality of MRO.”

Research results and sample parts demonstrating laser cladding technology will be exhibited at the MRO Americas 2020 Convention at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas from April 28th to 30th.
The title of the study is “
The business case of automatic laser cladding in aerospace parts repair: five lessons learned
“.

Optomec’s LENS additive manufacturing system has previously been used to produce rocket engine parts to support NASA’s future lunar missions.The company’s AM solution can also be implemented using its LENS system3D printingCopper parts, which can be used in heat exchangers and other high conductivity applications.

Compiled from: 3dprintingindustry

(Editor in charge: admin)