3D-Printed Bearings Achieve Aerospace Certification

Additive Manufacturing Milestone
GE Additive's Concept Laser Mlab machine produced Inconel 718 bearings meeting AS9100D standards for aerospace applications. The parts exhibit isotropic fatigue strength comparable to wrought material due to optimized laser powder bed fusion parameters.

Topological Optimization
Using ANSYS nCode software, engineers designed lattice structures reducing weight by 35% while maintaining structural integrity. Finite element analysis confirmed safety factors exceeding 2.5 under极限载荷 conditions.

Supply Chain Disruption Solution
With traditional forging lead times exceeding 12 weeks, additive manufacturing enables on-demand production in 72 hours. This capability proved critical during recent semiconductor equipment shortages.

Material Properties

• Ultimate tensile strength: 1,350 MPa (±15 MPa lot-to-lot variation)

• Surface finish: Ra 0.4 μm (post-printing polishing)

• Porosity: <0.2% (ASTM B394 standard)