With at least ten printers in place and operational the ramp up to full production is on-going now. Yes, it will take awhile for production to peak but this article speaks to large-scale long term production beginning this month.
"Joe Markiewicz, plant manager in Auburn, says the project is moving ahead on schedule, with quality and engineering requirements being met as a prelude to full-scale production. The company plans to have 10 printing machines installed at the 300,000-square-foot facility by year’s end, a figure that could eventually climb to as many as 50.
“Our plan is still to begin production late in 2015 for LEAP fuel nozzles,” Markiewicz said.
The next-generation LEAP engine, being developed through a partnership between GE and France’s Snecma (Safran), promises improved fuel efficiency for air carriers. Variants will be used on the Chinese COMAC C919, the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320neo, which will be assembled at the company’s new Alabama manufacturing facility.
The LEAP has already racked up more than 8,650 orders and commitments for CFM International, as the joint venture is known. FAA-certification of the engine is expected later this year.
40,000 NOZZLES PER YEAR
GE Aviation plans to 3-D print fuel nozzles for the LEAP engine that will be used on Airbus A320 family aircraft and other passenger jets.
GE Aviation plans to 3-D print fuel nozzles for the LEAP engine that will be used on Airbus A320 family aircraft and other passenger jets.
Since there are 19 fuel nozzles in every LEAP engine, GE Aviation said the stage is set for large-scale, long-term production at the Auburn plant. In March, the company said production there will ramp up quickly over the next five years, going from 1,000 fuel nozzles manufactured annually to more than 40,000 by 2020.
