January, 2020 | Supercharg3d

Boeing 77X GE9X engines with 300 3D printed parts powers largest twin engine jetliner in first flight

GE Aviation has announced that American multinational aerospace giant Boeing has completed the first flight of its 777X jet, powered by twin GE9X engines. The engines are equipped with over 300 3D printed parts.

The airplane is the world’s largest twin-engine jetliner and passenger plane. Two previous attempts at getting the 777X airborne were made, however, the tests were postponed due to high winds. The airplane took off from Paine Field in Everett, WA, on January 25, 2020.

The Boeing 77X in flight. Photo via Boeing Airplanes.

“On behalf of the GE team, congratulations to Boeing on the first flight of the 777X. Today’s massive milestone is a testament to the outstanding work and dedication of both companies,” commented David Joyce, president, and CEO of GE Aviation and GE corporate vice-chairman.

100 3D printing experts predict the future of 3D printing in 2030

3D Printing Industry asked 100 additive manufacturing leaders to identify how 3D printing will develop during the next ten years. In our article last week, we took a look at the near term trends in 3D printing to watch for 2020. This new article draws on insights from additive manufacturing experts across the globe to understand where our industry is heading.

Will AM herald the disruption of manufacturing as we know it? While major change is likely to be slow, with this longer time horizon, it may be useful to consider the role of governments in supporting new industries.

Trade-technology tensions persist, as do developments around export controls – specifically the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security’s proposed rules around Additive Manufacturing Equipment for “Energetic Materials”.

3D Printing will shift to production in the 2020s

Just a few years ago, most people believed 3D printing was suited best for prototyping, tooling, and oddball parts. In the coming decade we may see additive manufacturing prove its mettle in mass production.

The coming decade will likely change the economics of 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM). Ric Fulop, CEO and co-founder of Desktop Metal offers a number of predictions for the future of 3D printing and additive manufacturing in the 2020s. For one, he believes 3D printing is sufficiently mature for production. Over the next 10 years, mass production using AM may become a reality and not just a promise. The general belief has been that AM was too expensive to compete with traditional manufacturing methods. Fulop believes those days are over.

3D printing, additive manufacturing, mass production, design possibilities, materials

What’s changed? Fulop points to the cost of 3D printing technology coming down in price, 3D materials becoming less expensive and more varied, and improvements in 3D printing equipment. We caught up with Fulop and asked him about his predictions for 3D printing and additive manufacturing over the coming decade.

Digitalisation technologies will transform maritime industries on a global scale over this decade in positive and negative ways

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DNV GL suggests a surge in 3D printing adoption and technology development could reduce demand for seaborne trade in its Technology Outlook 2030.

IoT technology will enable shipping to link with supply chains

In a future supply chain, files could be sent via printing platforms instead of spare parts for printing locally. This could be potentially disruptive for supply chain participants, such as shipping companies and tax authorities.

Upsides could include shortened lead times, lifecycle and working capital cost reductions and a lower carbon footprint due to less transportation.

DNV GL forecasts that perhaps up to 85% of spare part suppliers may have incorporated 3D printing by 2030, leading to a 10% reduction in seaborne trade of semi-manufactured parts in 2040.

Sustainability trends in 3D printing you need to know

HP released its list of predictions for 3D printing and digital manufacturing in 2020. Informed by extensive interviews with a team of experts, this year’s research identifies top trends that will have a major impact on advancing Industry 4.0 such as the need for more sustainable production, how automation will transform the factory floor, and the rise of data and software as the backbone of digital manufacturing.

“The year ahead will be a time of realizing 3D printing and digital manufacturing’s true potential across industries,” said Pete Basiliere, Founder, Monadnock Insights. “As HP’s trend report indicates, digital manufacturing will enable production of users’ ideal designs by unlocking new and expanded software, data, services, and industrial production solutions that deliver more transformative experiences while also disrupting legacy industries.”

How major automakers use AM for production today, part 5: BMW additive manufacturing

During this month’s AM Focus Automotive, we are mapping out the most accurate and up to date scenario for automotive additive manufacturing in final part production. We present an analysis of the latest progress made by each major automaker group and some of the key activities—either publicly disclosed or confirmed by reliable sources. Here’s a look at BMW additive manufacturing. In the previous episodes, we looked at Volkswagen, General Motors, Daimler Benz and Ford. Still upcopming: PSA, FCA and JLR.

Since “coming out” officially as a major AM adopter in 2016, BMW Group continued to announce major initiatives in AM for part production. They were consolidated in the Additive Manufacturing Campus, located in Oberschleissheim, just north of Munich. BMW is known to also rely on external AM parts providers for SLS and SLA (Figure 4) parts production, such as 3D Systems’ On Demand Advanced AM Center near Turin, in Northern Italy.

Dive Brief:

The use of 3D printing for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) will double “in the coming years,” according to a survey of 114 respondents, conducted by Dimensional Research and Essentium, a 3D printing platform. The survey did not specify a time frame for “in the coming years.”
The respondents see use cases for 3D printing in various types of prototyping and parts production. Benefits of the technology include reduced lead times, cost reduction, the ability for mass customization and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Despite respondents naming cost reduction as a benefit, the plurality reported cost as the biggest obstacle to adopting 3D printing at scale. 3D printing technology and materials are too expensive, according to more than one-third of respondents.

80 additive manufacturing experts predict the 3D printing trends to watch in 2020

Predicting the future is impossible. But that doesn’t stop us at 3D Printing Industry from inviting CEOs, CTOs and other AM experts to give us 3D printing predictions for 2020.

If you want to stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, subscribe to our free 3D Printing Industry newsletter. You’ll be among the first to hear about the 2020 3D Printing Industry Awards and get updates about new jobs and career moves in the AM industry.

Marie Langer, CEO, EOS GmbH

Over the years, additive manufacturing has transitioned from a system and materials to a complete end-to-end solution business. During the same time, we managed to substantially decrease material costs and increase process productivity, as such making AM a key driver of digital manufacturing on a cost-per part level. We will continue to enable accelerated technology qualification and certification procedures to speed up the further industrialization of our technology – all with the aim of upscaling factories to large-scale serial production. Digital AM business models are just beginning to develop – EOS is determined to accompany customers on their way.

“3D printing and digital manufacturing is driving a world with less waste, less inventory and lower CO2 emissions.”

George Brasher, HP’s UK & Ireland MD says the next year, and decade, will be an exciting time for additive manufacturing.

2020 is set to be the year when the potential of 3D printing is realised across more industries. We’ve seen in the previous decade how 3D tech has turned traditional production models and workflows on their head, offering on-demand, bespoke manufacturing – and presenting us with a modern model of the artisan age. This is only going to develop further as we begin this new decade.

So what are the key trends to watch out for, and where will we see the 3D industry focus its attention in 2020?

Keppel Offshore & Marine harnessing 3D printing technology for component production

Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine, in partnership with Nanyang Technological University and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), has been awarded Lloyd’s Register (LR) Certification for its laser aided additive manufacturing system to produce offshore grade steel.

The certification conforms to the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) A131 requirements following an audit and successful mechanical testing.

Keppel Offshore & Marine harnessing 3D printing technology for component production

“This certification is the first step for us to produce high-value components essential to the offshore and marine structures. Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing as it is more commonly known will speed up production times which in turn can help bring projects to completion much quicker,” said Aziz Merchant, Executive Director, Keppel Marine & Deepwater Technology.

Month: January 2020