GE has test run a developmental version of its Advanced Turboprop (ATP) engine that contains 35 percent 3D printed parts. The ATP will be used in Cessna's new Denali single and is a big part of the sales pitch for the aircraft. GE says 3D printing saves weight and is more precise than traditional construction methods. "With subtractive manufactured parts and assemblies, you traditionally use bolts, welds or other interfaces to attach the parts together, which adds weight to the engine," Gordon Follin, who runs GE's 3D printing department, told New Atlas. "On the ATP, additive reduces weight by eliminating those attaching features while also optimizing design of the parts." The engine tested this week is just the beginning of the development process.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/denali-test-engine-has-35-percent-3d-printed-parts