2015-02-26 02:08:35 UTCForget food and guns, the first 3D-printed jet engines have arrived By Jenni RyallAustralia2015-02-26 02:08:35 UTC

One day there are 3D-printed Oreos, the next there are 3D-printed jet engines. The world of 3D printing has taken off, with the latest development straight out of Australia.

Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne with help from the CSIRO and Deakin University have printed not one, but two metal jet engines.

The proof-of-concept prototype in partnership with the Monash's commercial arm, Amaero Engineering, has already piqued the interest of international aerospace companies, such as Airbus, Raytheon and Boeing.

The use of 3D printing in the aerospace industry can help with reducing the length of time spent on a project, creating a lighter engine while reducing operational and production costs, according to a white paper by Smarttech. The use of a printed model can reduce waste by up to 90%, leading not only to a reduction of cost, but also a reduction in the environmental impact from manufacturing.

Researchers were provided an old auxiliary powered gas turbine engine by French aerospace supplier Safran that could be pulled apart and copied using a 3D printer. The process, known as additive manufacturing, allows the powder form of metals to be melted and then fused together into objects using a laser.

“It was our chance to prove what we could do,” Professor Xinhua Wu, the director of the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing, said in a statement. “We took the engine to pieces and scanned the components. Then we printed two copies.”

This technology allows for simpler production techniques — such as printing two components at once — and designs to be tweaked more easily and parts to be printed as needed.

The jet engine.

Image: MCAM

The researchers are currently doing cost analysis to discover the parts worthwhile to 3D print, compared with parts that should remain manufactured in the traditional way. Testing is also underway to see what parts of the prototype would be feasible to produce on a larger scale for aerospace companies. Already, Amaero has been commissioned to make hundreds of prototype fuel injectors for testing.

Ben Batagol, business development manager for Amaero Engineering, said: "It was a challenge for the team and pushed the technology to new heights of success –- no one has printed an entire engine commercially yet."

3D printing in the aerospace industry has been around for decades, but emerging technology that allows the melting of metal powders is opening up the door to the possibilities for widespread use and exciting developments in the field.

BONUS: What Is 3D Printing and How Does It Work?

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

忘掉食物和武器，第一款3D打印喷气发动机已经来临

2015年2月26日2时08分35秒UTCForget食品和枪支，第一款3D打印喷气发动机有arrivedJenniBy珍妮RyallAustralia2015-02-26 2时08分35秒UTC
有一天，有3D打印奥利奥，下有3D打印喷气发动机。 3D打印的世界已经起飞，与最新发展直出澳大利亚。

研究人员在墨尔本莫纳什大学与来自CSIRO和迪肯大学的帮助印有不是一个，而是两个金属喷气发动机。

概念验证的原型与蒙纳士的商业机构，Amaero工程的合作伙伴关系，已经引起了国际航空航天公司，如空中客车公司，雷声公司和波音公司的利益。

在航空航天工业中使用3D打印能帮助减少花费的时间在一个项目上的长度，创造了更轻的发动机，同时降低运营和生产成本，根据白皮书Smarttech。使用的印刷模式可高达90％减少浪费，导致不仅降低成本，而且在由制造对环境的影响降低。

研究人员由法国航空航天供应商赛峰集团可能被拉开，并使用3D打印机复制提供了一个古老的辅助动力的燃气涡轮发动机。的过程中，被称为添加剂制造，允许金属的粉末形式可以熔融，然后熔合在一起成为使用激光的对象。

“这是我们的机会来证明我们可以做什么，”新华武教授，莫纳什中心添加剂制造的主任，在声明中说。 “我们采取了发动机件和扫描组件。然后，我们打印一式两份。“
此技术允许更简单的生产工艺 - 诸如打印两个组件在一次 - 和设计能够更容易地调整和根据需要被印刷的部分。

莫纳什

喷气发动机。

图片：MCAM
研究人员目前正在做成本分析来发现值得三维打印的部分，部件应在传统的方式保持。制造比较。测试也正在进行中，看看有什么原型的部分会产生对航空航天公司规模较大可行的。目前，Amaero已委托进行数百原型的燃料喷射器进行测试。

本Batagol，为Amaero工程业务发展经理，说：“这是为球队的挑战，并推动该技术的新高峰 - 没有人打印的整个发动机市场上还没有。”

3D打印在航空航天工业已经存在了几十年，但新兴的技术，让金属粉末熔化的开放之门的可能性在该领域的广泛使用和令人振奋的发展。
奖金：什么是3D打印，它是如何工作的？
有什么要补充的这个故事？分享它的评论。