6/8/2017 AdditiveManufacturingMITTechnologyReview

10 Breakthrough Technologies Menu

Additive Smart Watches Ultra-Ecient Memory Implan

Manufacturing
GE, the worlds
largest
The designers of
the Pebble watch
Solar Power
Doubling the
eciency of solar

A maverick
neuroscientist
manufacturer, is on realized that a devices would believes he has

Prototypes of brackets for airplane engines show how additive manufacturing can produce complex,
precisely designed shapes like the one at right.

Additive Manufacturing
GE, the worlds largest manufacturer, is on the
verge of using 3-D printing to make jet parts.

by Martin LaMonica

eneral Electric is making a radical departure from the way it

G hastraditionallymanufacturedthings.Itsaviationdivision,
theworldslargestsupplierofjetengines,ispreparingto
produceafuelnozzleforanewaircraftenginebyprintingthepartwith

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/513716/additivemanufacturing/ 1/9
6/8/2017 AdditiveManufacturingMITTechnologyReview

lasersratherthancastingandweldingthemetal.Thetechnique,known
10 Breakthrough Technologies Menu
asadditivemanufacturing(becauseitbuildsanobjectbyadding
Additive Smart Watches Ultra-Ecient Memory Implan
ultrathinlayersofmaterialonebyone),couldtransformhowGE
Manufacturing
GE, the
largest
worlds The designers
the Pebble watch
of Solar Power
Doubling the
eciency of solar

A maverick
neuroscientist
designsandmakesmanyofthecomplexpartsthatgointoeverything
manufacturer, is on realized that a devices would believes he has

fromgasturbinestoultrasoundmachines.

Additivemanufacturingtheindustrialversionof3Dprintingis
alreadyusedtomakesomenicheitems,suchasmedicalimplants,and
toproduceplasticprototypesforengineersanddesigners.Butthe
decisiontomassproduceacriticalmetalalloyparttobeusedin
thousandsofjetenginesisasignicantmilestoneforthetechnology.
Andwhile3Dprintingforconsumersandsmallentrepreneurshas
receivedagreatdealofpublicity,itisinmanufacturingwherethe
technologycouldhaveitsmostsignicantcommercialimpact(seeThe
DierenceBetweenMakersandManufacturers,January/February
2013).

Lastfall,GEpurchasedapairofcompanieswithknowhowin
automatedprecisionmanufacturingofmetalsandthenfoldedthe
technologyintotheoperationsofGEAviation.Thatgroupdoesnthave
muchtimetodemonstratethatitsnewtechnologycanworkatscale.
CFMInternational,GEsjointventurewithFrancesSnecma,willuse
the3DprintednozzlesinitsLEAPjetengine,duetogointoplanesin
late2015orearly2016(CFMsaysitalreadyhascommitmentsof$22
billion).Eachenginewilluse10to20nozzles;GEneedstomake
25,000ofthenozzlesannuallywithinthreeyears.

GEchosetheadditiveprocessformanufacturingthenozzlesbecauseit
useslessmaterialthanconventionaltechniques.ThatreducesGEs
productioncostsand,becauseitmakesthepartslighter,yields
signicantfuelsavingsforairlines.Conventionaltechniqueswould
requireweldingabout20smallpiecestogether,alaborintensive

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6/8/2017 AdditiveManufacturingMITTechnologyReview

processinwhichahighpercentageofthematerialendsupbeing
10 Breakthrough Technologies Menu
scrapped.Instead,thepartwillbebuiltfromabedofcobaltchromium
Additive Smart Watches Ultra-Ecient Memory Implan
powder.Acomputercontrolledlasershootspinpointbeamsontothe
Manufacturing
GE, the
largest
worlds The designers of
the Pebble watch
Solar Power
Doubling the
eciency of solar

A maverick
neuroscientist
bedtomeltthemetalalloyinthedesiredareas,creating20
manufacturer, is on realized that a devices would believes he has

micrometerthicklayersonebyone.Theprocessisafasterwaytomake
complexshapesbecausethemachinescanrunaroundtheclock.And
additivemanufacturingingeneralconservesmaterialbecausethe
printercanhandleshapesthateliminateunnecessarybulkandcreate
themwithoutthetypicalwaste.

TherestofGEtogetherwithitscompetitorsiswatchingclosely.GE
Power&Water,whichmakeslargegasandwindturbines,hasalready
identiedpartsitcanmakewiththeadditiveprocess,andGE
Healthcarehasdevelopedamethodtoprinttransducers,theexpensive
ceramicprobesusedinultrasoundmachines.Itsreallyfundamentally
changingthewaywethinkaboutthecompany,saysMarkLittle,GEs
chieftechnologyocer.

Breakingwithtraditionalmanufacturingtechniques,suchascasting
andmachiningmaterial,givesGEproductdesignersfargreater
exibility.Additivemanufacturingmachinesworkdirectlyfroma
computermodel,sopeoplecandevisecompletelynewshapeswithout
regardforexistingmanufacturinglimitations.Wecanmake
congurationsthatwejustcouldntbefore,Littlesays.

GEengineersarestartingtoexplorehowtouseadditivemanufacturing
withawiderrangeofmetalalloys,includingsomematerialsspecically
designedfor3Dprinting.GEAviation,forone,islookingtouse
titanium,aluminum,andnickelchromiumalloys.Asinglepartcouldbe
madeofmultiplealloys,lettingdesignerstailoritsmaterial
characteristicsinawaythatsnotpossiblewithcasting.Abladeforan
engineorturbine,forexample,couldbemadewithdierentmaterials

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6/8/2017 AdditiveManufacturingMITTechnologyReview

sothatoneendisoptimizedforstrengthandtheotherforheat
10 Breakthrough Technologies Menu
resistance.
Additive Smart Watches Ultra-Ecient Memory Implan
Manufacturing
GE, the worlds
largest
The designers of
the Pebble watch
Solar Power
Doubling the
eciency of solar

A maverick
neuroscientist
Allthatisstillonpaperorrather,inthecomputerizeddesignsof
manufacturer, is on realized that a devices would believes he has
productengineers.Fornow,GEsenginenozzleapartsmallenoughto
tinthepalmofyourhandwillbetherstbigtestofwhetheradditive
manufacturingcanrevolutionizethewaycomplexhighperformance
productsaremade.

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Next in 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2013

01 Smart Watches
The designers of the Pebble watch realized that a
mobile phone is more useful if you dont have to
take it out of your pocket.
by John Pavlus

02 Ultra-Ecient Solar Power

Doubling the eciency of solar devices would
completely change the economics of renewable
energy. Here is a design that just might make it
possible.
by Mike Orcutt

03 Memory Implants
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/513716/additivemanufacturing/ 4/9
6/8/2017 AdditiveManufacturingMITTechnologyReview

03 Memory
10 Breakthrough Implants
Technologies Menu
A maverick neuroscientist believes he has
Additive Smart Watches Ultra-Ecient Memory Implan
deciphered the code by which the brain forms
Manufacturing
GE, the worlds
long-term
largest memories.
The designers of
the Pebble watch
Solar Power
Doubling the
eciency of solar

A maverick
neuroscientist
manufacturer, is on realized that a devices would believes he has
by Jon Cohen

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