ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 3D printed propeller
LASER-FOCUSED
How engineered plastic cooling towers are helping to expel heat from laser powder bed fusion 3D printing processes. Words by Greg Rankin
A
dditive manufacturing (AM) is booming. According to a recent report from Persistence
Market Research, the sector is expected to double in size by 2028 to exceed $15 billion. Traditionally, AM consisted of turning plastic resins into prototypes and low-volume parts. Now, the industry is expanding to include a growing list of metals that can be processed on sophisticated 3D printers. However, along with these advances comes a new challenge: managing excessive heat loads. Utilising plastics in AM requires
relatively low temperatures, often under 300°C. With metal, however, the print media can reach temperatures ranging from 1,100-1,400°C. To mitigate the heat, cooling towers are increasingly being employed to cool the process water down. This is exactly the challenge that the GE Aerospace AM facility in Ohio, the US, recently encountered.
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www.engineerlive.com “The aviation company was working
on a state-of-the-art approach to manufacture aircraft parts utilising laser 3D printers,” says Steve Coppock, consulting engineer at Armour & Associates. The Ohio-based company designs, installs and commissions HVAC and processing cooling systems. “The engineering fi rm brought us in to help with the cooling system that was required to chill the water used in the processing of these parts.”
HYDRODYNAMICS From lightweight designs, rapid prototyping, and now increasingly used for low to medium-volume components, AM is still in a fl edgling state with an incredible amount of untapped potential. At the GE Aerospace facility, which
has been the focus of important R&D work for the company, the laser printers are used for components that require complex geometries or exceptional precision. While lasers
themselves are not hot, the heat produced when the photons come in contact with metals can be signifi cant. “The facility was looking for a
cooling tower that would provide some longevity and would not require a lot of maintenance or repairs,” explains Coppock. “We had been having a lot of success with cooling towers made out of engineered plastic and recommended them for this application.” Made of high-density polyethylene
(HDPE), engineered plastic cooling towers are corrosion-proof, off er exceptional durability, require signifi cantly less maintenance, as well as an easier and quicker installation.
LAUNCH WINDOW The fi rst tower at the GE Aerospace facility was installed in late 2022 and after a successful debut, a second tower was added a year later to increase production. “The Delta cooling towers have been
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