FT,
I like your Theory A scenario as we all know it takes a long time to be certified for Aerospace. However, you make a great point with sunk costs, it pure economics.
It is one thing if a company is building a brand new plant to manufacture a new engine versus using an existing plant for the new engine. No manufacturer is going to completely rid there traditional machine centers and replace them with EBM and Laser. It is to cost prohibitive. The traditional machines can produce more than just one type of part.
I see them phasing in EBM blades one-stage at a time and one engine at a time personally and using EBM for replacement blades as well. The cost of buying 30, 40, or 50 machines at one time is way to expensive, even if YOU are GE! and especially if you are a Supplier!
Maybe over the next 5-7 years as machines are faster and powder is cheaper we will see LPT Blades in all GE engines produced by EBM......All IMHO
