3D Printer Manufacturer voxeljet selected by GE Research for $14.9 Million Contract

GE Research has selected voxeljet as a partner for the $14.9 million in federal funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to develop and commercialize a large sand binder jet 3D printer, called the Advanced Casting Cell (ACC), to accelerate the U.S. transition to clean energy. In addition to voxeljet, GE Research has also selected GE Hydro, GE Onshore Wind, GE Offshore Wind, Clemson University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Hodge Foundry as partners for the ACC project.

The ACC project was created to strengthen U.S. manufacturing capabilities and promote cost-effective domestic production of large metallic molded parts. This is in line with the Biden administration’s clean power strategy. Within the project, the ACC will be developed to produce sand molds for the manufacture of such parts. Another aspect is the digital creation of mold designs and an analysis of cost and supply chain challenges.

One of the main goals is the production of 3D-printed, large-format sand molds for the hub of the GE Haliade-X offshore turbine. Such a hub, which houses the mechanical components, can weigh more than 60 tons. The project aims to reduce the production time for this pattern and mold from ten weeks to two weeks. According to data from Data Bridge Market Research, the global market for wind turbine hubs is estimated at $6.6 billion in 2021 and could reach more than $15 billion by 2029.

Innovative manufacturing technology could reduce the overall cost of hydropower by 20% and shorten delivery times by four months. There are also plans to develop a robotic welding process for assembling a Francis runner.

“We’re excited to be a part of this future-driven and innovative project,” said Dr. Ingo Ederer, CEO of voxeljet. “The development and cost-efficient manufacturing of clean power-generation technologies is in high-demand because it is key to meeting and overcoming global climate challenges. We are confident that additive manufacturing, and specifically our large-scale Binder Jetting technology, is the right choice to manufacture complex parts used in these next-generation wind turbines.”