China3D printingNet May 16th, since last year, the cooperation between GE Additives and GE Aviation and the US Air Force has achieved results. Since mid-2019, when the US Air Force sought help to establish the airworthiness and certification path of metal additives, they received a proposal from GE that simplified the readiness, affordability, and sustainability of the AM program plan of.
Now that some aircraft of the US Air Force have been in service for 60 years, the Rapid Maintenance Office (RSO) of the US Air Force is beginning to consider better ways to maintain and manufacture spare parts. When the GE team came into contact with ROS, they realized that GE had experience in identifying and certifying the required AM parts.
RSO Deputy Program Executive Nathan Parker (Nathan Parker) said: “RSO is pleased to partner with GE Additive and is committed to providing the Air Force with additively manufactured parts. Their success will help ensure that our systems are quickly kept in flight. And prepare the required high-quality parts.”
Cobalt-chromium oil pan cover for additive manufacturing of F110 engine. (Photo: GE Additive, GEADPR035)
Over the years, as3D printingAnd the continued supporter of additive manufacturing processes, even before most people realized this technology, GE Additive and various military departments have been constantly innovating and expanding additive globally. Manufacturing facilities, developing new materials, and manufacturing new parts for U.S. Air Force aircraft and even runways. Under this partnership, the two organizations have developed a multi-phase plan, and the complexity and scale of the plan will continue to increase as each phase is completed.
Lisa Coroa-Bockley, general manager of GE Aviation Advanced Materials Solutions, explained: “The Air Force hopes to develop rapidly from the beginning and improve its metal additive manufacturing capabilities as soon as possible to improve combat readiness and sustainability.
By using our experience with the LEAP fuel nozzles and other components that we refuel on GE9X, we can provide end-to-end solutions, and learn from the lessons of the reliable certification process, we have been able to accelerate the pace of the US Air Force. “
So far, the collaborative team has completed the first phase of work, identified GE aviation spare parts for F110 and TF34 engines, and then assessed and proved that they can fly. Work has begun on the oil pan cover of the General Electric F110 engine (already used in F-15 and F-16 aircraft) and has become the focus of the first phase of the plan.
In the planning phase, Phase 1b will reflect the ongoing complexity of that phase, as the team is studying oil pan cover housing. This is the “parts family” currently used on the TF34 engine, which is part of an aircraft that has been in use for more than 40 years.
Redesigning old parts and additively manufacturing a small number of traditional cast parts has great potential to improve USAF’s support capabilities. The rapid, highly repeatable process of development deserves our attention. Said Melanie Jonason, chief engineer of the advancement maintenance department at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB).
“Compared with other parts on the F110 engine, the oil pan cover may have lower functions, but it is very important. It must be strong and durable, form a seal, and need to make the entire engine work properly. This is suitable for a single engine like the F-16. The aircraft is of course very important.” said James Bonar, engineering manager of GE Additive.
GE Additive and GE Aviation have been working closely together in designing the aluminum oil pan cover. The first batch of products were produced at the Additive Technology Center (ATC) in Cincinnati using GE Additive Concept Laser M2 machines running cobalt-chromium alloys.
Beth Dittmer
China3D printingNet comment: The plan with GE has been completed ahead of schedule, and the preliminary work that has been done on the oil pan allows us to move forward quickly. The completion of each phase is an important milestone when we are developing the airworthiness plan for metal additives for the Air Force, because we will go one step further and enable the additive parts to fly on one of our aircraft. This is an important milestone. .
GE Aviation F110 engine.
[来源/图片：来源/图片：GE添加剂]
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