GE Aviation signs additive manufacturing cooperative agreement with Sigma Labs

GE Aviation and Sigma Labs signed a Joint Technology Development Agreement (JTDA) to advance and implement in-process inspection technologies for additive manufactured jet engine components. The mutually-developed inspection technology will verify the quality and geometry of additive components during the additive build process, increasing additive production speeds up to 25 percent in support of GE Aviation’s growing production rates. “Today, post-build inspection procedures account for as much as 25 percent of the time required to produce an additively manufactured engine component,” said Greg Morris, GE Aviation’s business development leader for additive manufacturing. “By conducting those inspection procedures while the component is being built, GE Aviation and Sigma labs will expedite production rates for GE’s additive manufactured engine components like the LEAP fuel nozzle.”