GE BUILDS 3D PRINTED MINI JET ENGINE, THEN BLASTS IT TO 33,000 RPM

EOS M 270 Laser Sintering Machine Used to Build the Working Model

A team of technicians, machinists and engineers at the GE Additive Development Center has created a working miniature jet engine using an additive manufacturing technique known as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). The team built the compact engine from scratch with a laser sintering machine, EOS M 270, the predecessor to the EOS M 280 and the brand new EOS M 290. The GE crew based its initial design on a radio controlled aircraft engine, but adapted it as the project advanced. The demonstration model measures 8 inches (20 cm) tall and 12 inches (30 cm) long and was pushed to an impressive 33,000 rotations per minute when it was tested at GE Aviation’s test site in Ohio, US. The development team is the same group that designed and developed a fuel nozzle that will be 3D printed for use in the CFM LEAP jet engine.