GE Additive (
www.geadditive.com) made significant strides in the aerospace industry at the recent
Paris Air Show by forging strategic-supplier agreements, announcing a ‘unique’ additive machine, and meeting hundreds of potential customers.
Three major announcements were made. The first was that GE Additive is building the world’s largest laser powder additive manufacturing (AM) machine.
Tailored for aerospace, this has a build envelope of 1m3, making it suitable for jet-engine structural components and parts for single-aisle aircraft.
The second was that GE Additive, Concept Laser (Germany) and Arcam EBM (Sweden) have become preferred machine suppliers to the Oerlikon Group in Switzerland, which will now collaborate on machine and materials R&D with GE.
Oerlikon is an additive-technology specialist in advanced materials, production, post-processing and surface
solutions.
The third announcement was that Concept Laser and LAUAK (a French aerospace company) had signed a letter of intent that will see LAUAK invest in Concept Laser’s machines.
Concept Laser has worked with LAUAK for a number of years to implement additive processes and new products.