Over the past few months, we've seen the GrabCAD Community submit almost 700 entries to redesign loading brackets found on jet engines using 3D printing. The results were more than expected and will lead to reduced engine weight and fuel consumption. Meet the GE Jet Engine Bracket winner, see pics, and join our Google+ Hangout.
The top ten bracket designs were additively manufactured at GE Aviation’s additive manufacturing facility in Cincinnati and subjected to rigorous load testing, at GE’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna. Testing parts to failure was performed to ensure the winning designs meet the highest quality and performance criteria. Loading brackets on jet engines play a critical role: they must support the weight of the engine during handling without breaking or warping.
Some fun stats from the GE Jet Engine Bracket Challenge
• M Arie Kurniawan from Salatiga, Indonesia, awarded first place prize
• Eight winners selected from nearly 700 entries across 56 countries
• Through open collaboration, bracket design modifications to improve fuel and cost
Meet the winner
M Arie Kurniawan, based in Salatiga, Indonesia, won the first place prize of $7,000. The balance of the $20,000 prize pool will be awarded to the finalists capturing second through eighth place.
“At GE, we know innovation can come from anywhere. This challenge tapped into the ingenuity of the GrabCAD Community to unleash new solutions to tomorrow’s challenges using additive manufacturing.By applying GE’s scale and expertise to open innovation, we can continue to grow the ecosystem of designers, engineers, materials scientists, and other partners to redefine the industry and drive real results for our customers." - Steve Liguori, GE Executive Director of Global Innovation
We're pretty excited for all of the finalists and participants. Our Community really responded to this real-world engineering challenge from GE. There were an extraordinary number of submissions, from around the world, because engineers want the chance to design something that may make it into production and solve a real problem. GE's Jet Engine Bracket Design Challenge exceeded expectations and shows its commitment to seeking innovation through open engineering and collaboration. It's the way of the future, and we love that it's happening on our platform.
GE Jet Engine Bracket Winners Include:
1st Prize Winner- $7,000 cash
-
M Arie Kurniawan, based in Indonesia.
2nd Prize - $5,000 cash
-
Thomas Johansson, Ph.D, based in Sweden.
3rd Prize - $3,000 cash
-
Sebastien Vavassori, based in the United Kingdom.
4th -8th Prize $1,000 cash each
-
Nic Adams, based in Australia.
-
Fidel Chirtes, based in Romania.
-
Mandli Peter, based in Hungary.
-
Andreas Anedda, based in Italy.
-
Piotr Mikulski, based in Poland.
What's next? Show me more!
- View pictures of the additively manufactured brackets and read more from GE.
- Join our Google+ Hangout: Open Innovation and the Maker Community on Friday, Dec 13.
- View the 3D models and results on the GE Jet Engine Bracket Challenge page.
