FAA Approves 3-D Manufactured Parts in GE Engines of Boeing 787, 747-8 Airliners

The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved usage of Power Door Opening System (PDOS) brackets manufactured  using GE Additive Concept Laser’s M2 Multilaser machines for application on GE Aviation’s GEnx-2B  engines which power the Boeing 787 and 747-8 airliners.

The new cobalt-chrome alloy brackets are lighter and more fuel efficient as compared to conventionally manufactured nickel-based super-alloy PDOS brackets.

GEnx is an advanced dual rotor, axial flow, high-bypass turbofan jet engine for Boeing 787 and 747-8. While the conventional technique of manufacturing through milling resulted in loss of 50% of raw material, the new multi laser technology reduces the loss by 90%, GE Aviation said in a statement on Thursday.

Using a bespoke, interlocking design to house all four brackets on a single build plate, the Concept Laser M2 cusing machine’s pair of lasers can print an aircraft’s worth of brackets in one build, before post-processing and inspection.

The first engines installed with the new brackets will be shipped in January 2019.