Additive Manufacturing at GE Aviation

Transcription

1 Additive Manufacturing at GE Aviation TRAM 2012 Chicago, Il

2 Definition: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (AM), n process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Synonyms: additive fabrication, additive processes, additive techniques, additive layer manufacturing, layer manufacturing and freeform fabrication *ASTM E Standard Terminology for Additive Manufacturing Technologies LENS Process, Sandia National Labs 2

3 Benefits of Additive Manufacturing Reduced time to market Reduced manufacturing leadtimes and costs Improved buy:fly Enabling design capabilities Novel/Hybrid materials Weight reduction Sustainability 3

4 Across the corporation Aviation Separate efforts initially. Typical AM applications: Plastic and metal models for design validation. Rapid tooling for production and inspection. Rig testing and engine testing. Now coordinating amongst the divisions through our GE Global Research Center. At Aviation: Low rate initial production Energy Healthcare Appliances

5 Candidate AM Applications for Aviation Booster/Compressor Blades Vane Segments Combustion Liners Fuel nozzles HPT/LPT Blades Vanes Shrouds Installations VSV bushing Heat shield Tubes & brackets Assemblies Fan Metal Leading Edge Blisk Structures Compressor case Combustion case HPT case LPT case 5

6 Technology Development Additive Manufacturing Maturation Advanced Technology Basic Technology Limited Supplier Base Internal Standards vs. Industry Specifications Limited Design Methodologies Metals Start Enhanced Technology Productivity Enhancements Design Allowables (mechanical property database) Increased Build Volume Process Monitoring and Control Enabling Design Paradigm Topology Optimization Complete design freedom Polymer Composites Autonomous Processes Novel Materials Adaptive Process Control Process Intelligence Hybrid Materials Rapid Qualification Ceramic/Nano Composites $$ $$$$ $$$$$$ MRL 0 MRL 3 MRL 6 MRL 9 10 years 20 years 10 years

7 Additive Manufacturing Methods Additive Mfg Whole Features Layering Processes Welding Inertia, Flash, Stud, other By Heat Source By Methodology Laser Electron Beam (EB) Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA) Wire Feed Powder Feed Powder Bed 7

8 Direct Metal Additive Processes Material -Feed Powder-Bed 8

9 Material-Feed 9

10 Laser and Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing Powder and Wire Feed Processes Feature and whole part Simple geometry High dep rate 20+ years and going strong Production for surface enhancement New-make Repair MRO Parts flying today. 10

11 Making the Business Case Many structural parts evaluated for AM in terms of cost savings. Machining Fact: Average Buy:Fly = 8:1 87% of raw material ends up as chips on the floor. No cost benefit found Material savings offset by processing costs and additional post processing steps: Straightening Heat treat Inspection Potential carbon tax benefit. 11

12 Powder Bed 12

13 Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) Shield Gas Leveler Laser Window Powder bed Part Laser Beam Powder Powder Collector DMLM Part Build Platform 13

14 Direct Metal Additive Properties Fatigue Wrought Cast DMLM Cast Spec Min Wrought Spec Min Tensile Bulk material properties. Better than cast, approaching wrought. 14

15 Major Gaps and Challenges General Rapid Qualification NDI Materials Database Specifications Supply Chain Design Rules Process Specific Surface Finish Process Speed Distortion Build Volume Applicable Materials Process Monitoring and Control DMLM Fact: Melt pool is wide and traveling at 1 yard/sec 15

16 Poor Surface Finish and Subsurface Porosity Reduce Life LCF

17 Part Number Type Layer Spacing (um) Quantity/Build Build Time (hrs) Build Cost ($/Part) Quantity/Build Build Time (hrs) Part Build Time (hrs/part) Build Cost ($/Part) First Part Cost ($) 100th Part Cost ($) Throughput - Simple Case Study DMLM Single-Part Build DMLM Nested Build Conventional 2152M85 Casting T61 Casting ER

18 Cost Reduction Through Increased Throughput Higher laser power Dual laser/scanhead. higher throughput. 2X improvement without having to requalify process or material. Courtesy SLM-Solutions GmbH

19 Cost Reduction Through Consolidation Reduced part count. Reduced number of braze cycles. Reduced number of welds.

20 Distortion -> Stress Management Iterations increase leadtime and cost. Mitigation strategies add time and cost. Very repeatable. Predictable?

21 Where to next?

22 Lightweight Structures Topology Optimization Recent study indicates that over 90% of energy footprint of an aero engine part comes from use in service. Lattice Structures Composites MMC, PMC, CMC Courtesy Within Technologies Ltd 22

23 Status of Additive Mfg GE Aviation AM metal components are bill-ofmaterial for advanced engine programs. Base of applications is expanding as technology is excepted and exploited by design engineers. Major issues remain in terms of surface finish, dimensional tolerances and throughput (and more). 23

24 Near-term Needs Proven, robust manufacturing processes (FTY=1) Healthy supply chain Improved business case Mechanical property database for common alloys Continued integration between design, equipment and manufacturing 24

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