By Karen A. Thole and Scott Fishbone
“Given the high temperatures and demanding thermal stresses that gas turbine components must withstand, you might assume metal additive manufacturing (AM) has no place in the industry. However, to meet the aggressive goals for sustainability set by the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan [1] advancements in turbine components must happen at a rapid pace to improve thermal efficiencies while still ensuring today’s aviation safety records. For such advancements, gas turbine companies are turning to additive manufacturing, also known as metal 3D printing. AM ranges from selective laser melting (laser powdered bed fusion) for high resolution parts to electron beam melting for large parts requiring less stringent tolerances. AM components have been shown to aid in rapidly developing new designs that can quickly be manufactured and tested. In replacing legacy parts AM can reduce part number, weight, manufacturing waste, and sometimes even costs. For these reasons, the turbine industry is embracing metal printing technologies for rapid design prototyping, tooling, and even production parts.” CONTINUE READING HERE ON PAGE 60