The World's First Printed Jet Engine

November 06, 2015

A team from Monash University has created the world's first 3D printed jet engine. The models are on display at the International Air Show in Avalon and at the headquarters of Microturbo, in Toulouse.

The team used computer models and a laser to melt metal powder to build duplicate copies of each component in successive layers. Later, those parts were assembled and replicas of the original engine were produced. Each component is printed in layers around 0.05 mm thick. The project received funding from multiple groups and a lot more companies are expressing their interest in developing components at the university using the similar 3D technology.

The new innovative design has open new avenues for companies to design components faster, that would previously taken months to design and manufacture could have taken weeks. It was a challenge for the team to push the technology to new heights of success – no one has printed an entire engine commercially yet. 

Researchers are still trying to fine-tune the components and testing of such 3D- printed engine is expected to take place within a couple of years.

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/3d-printed-jet-engine/36273/