GE Oil & Gas Adds 3D Printing Line at Talamona Plant

GE Oil & Gas has recently inaugurated two new high-tech component production lines at their plant in Talamona, Italy. 

Additionally to a completely automated nozzle production line with anthropomorphic robots, the new additive manufacturing line will be equipped with laser 3D printers to build end burners for gas turbine combustion chambers. Within a period of two years, GE has invested € 10 million into the upgrade of the facility. Both production lines are already working and will be fully operational by the beginning of 2017.

With the new nozzle production line, GE will be able to manufacture components that have previously been purchased from third-party suppliers. The installed robots are able to employ a total of 10 different technologies, such as laser beam welding, measurement and electrical discharge machining.

The new additive manufacturing line was installed after extensive validation of the technology during the prototyping stage of the NovaLT16 gas turbine. Due to being able to enhance the design capabilities, reduce cycle time and improve product quality, GE Oil & Gas decided to implement 3D printing technology for full production.

Davide Marrani, General Manager Manufacturing for business Turbomachinery Solutions at GE Oil & Gas, stated: “The use of automated production and new techniques like additive manufacturing allow us to develop parts and products more efficiently, precisely and cost-effectively, accelerating the speed at which we can bring product to market. Our investment in these technologies at this site reflects our ongoing commitment to combine cutting edge technology and new manufacturing processes to lower cost and accelerate the innovation, speed and performance of industrial products. Our commitment to ongoing research and innovation is key to meet our clients’ ever-changing needs.”

GE has been investing in additive manufacturing technologies across its research and development sites in India, Japan, the U.S., China and Germany. The additive lab in Florence was opened in 2013 with the installation of the first Direct Metal Laser Melting machine and has since grown its capabilities, adding two further machines.

“The opportunities for the application of additive manufacturing and 3D printing in the oil and gas industry are only just starting to be explored, and it will require an ongoing rethink of component design and production approach,” said Massimiliano Cecconi, GE Oil & Gas Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Executive. “GE Oil & Gas is fostering the development of this technology to produce complex components for gas turbines, while cutting costs, boosting performance and reducing emissions.”