GE Additive News

In 2016, General Electric took a majority stake in Arcam and launched GE Additive, a new business focusing on additive manufacturing technologies like 3D printing. Additive manufacturing and 3D printing is still a young industry, albeit one going through a growth spurt. Mohammad Ehteshami, who launched GE Additive, expects the industry to grow from $7 billion today to $80 billion in a decade.

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GE Additive Manufacturing features some of the most advanced additive technologies available, machines and 3D printers from Arcam EBM and Concept Laser enable customers to grow products quickly and precisely. And since they’re capable of achieving high levels of accuracy, even print intricate shapes and geometries, these industrial 3D printing machines open up new design possibilities across a multitude of applications.

EBM (Electron Beam Melting) 3D machines from Arcam EBM create dimensionally accurate parts quickly and efficiently by utilizing a high-power electron beam for high melting capacity and productivity. The Arcam EBM process takes place in vacuum and at high temperature, resulting in stress-relieved components with material properties better than cast and comparable to wrought material.

As a cost-efficient solution to produce orthopedic implants and aerospace applications for 3D printing, the electron beam melting process has the ability to produce a new generation of 3D and additive innovation. This leading-edge technology, offers freedom in design, excellent material properties, and stacking capabilities. When you combine these advantages with the elimination of heat treatment, and wire cutting, businesses will see an increase in productivity, when adopting EBM technology.

An application using EBM 3D machines was with HRE Wheels where GE Additive unveiled the first titanium wheel created using EBM technology. Known as “HRE3D+”, this new prototype wheel shows what the future of wheel technology will bring and how advanced materials like titanium can be harnessed to create complex 3D designs.

Other industry applications for EBM 3D machines are: brackets for aerospace, hip caps for orthopedic industry. Both applications were produced in titanium. EBM technology offers greater freedom of design, through fewer supports, and higher volume builds thanks to tightly stacking parts. A combination that allows for the manufacture of complex and detailed orthopedic implants.

Aerospace is an innovative industry and engineers are always searching for ways to make parts lighter, faster, and more efficient. The EBM 3D process allows companies in the Aerospace Industry to produce light-weight components and also allows companies to additively 3D manufacture with crack prone materials.

GE Additive also has direct metal laser melting (DMLM) 3D machines. DMLM metal machines from Concept Laser use lasers to melt layers of fine metal powder and create complex geometries with incredible precision directly from a CAD file. GE Additive have several different machine sizes, including the largest powder-bed metal additive system in the world. All are available to meet the needs of any industry. Innovative features, including the patented LaserCUSING technology, set these 3D machines apart.