MAN Diesel & Turbo is currently investing some €2.6 million ‘in order to utilise the numerous benefits of additive manufacturing along the whole value chain'.
MAN Diesel & Turbo is currently investing some €2.6 million ‘in order to utilise the numerous benefits of additive manufacturing along the whole value chain. As well as shortened development cycles, 3D printing gives more freedom for innovative, superior component designs, reduces production and delivery times and enables us service-wise to produce spare parts on call’ says the company.
MAN is now equipping gas turbines with some 3D-printed components as standard. CEO Dr Uwe Lauber: “As of now, we are the first manufacturer in the world to use complex 3D-printed metallic components not only for test runs but also for serial production. After a decade of research and development we are proud that we have been able to make this significant step forward.”
Dr Roland Herzog, head of Material Technology in the Strategic Business Unit Turbomachinery: “Additive manufacturing offers huge potential for our product range, especially when it comes to the production of gas turbine components. Additively manufactured guide vane segments that we are now incorporating into our type MGT6100 gas turbines have proven particularly suitable. The approval for serial production is the result of intense co-operation with highly specialised suppliers and development partners such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology”.
MAN Diesel & Turbo is currently investing in the “MAN Centre for Additive Manufacturing,” a product and location-independent expert centre based at the company’s turbomachinery works in Oberhausen. Design specialists, materials experts and production engineers will attempt to extend the benefits of additive manufacturing to further components and products, such as compressor impellers or fuel nozzles for engines.