GE Innovation Contest

GE Innovation Challenge: Alternative Manufacturing of Aviation Castings

GE Aviation, a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated systems for commercial and military aircraft, is committed to the evolution of technologies and manufacturing processes.

New technologies are making the future of air travel possible. Advancing manufacturing techniques throughout the aviation industry at an equal rate is a key factor to making these technologies successful.

Aircraft production is particularly complex and demanding. Components, like castings, are precision crafted to tight tolerances, using high performance materials. Manufacturing advancements must be achieved through a variety of perspectives, including expediting cycle time, improvement in agile batching or materials that increase tolerance controls. After production, every item is individually inspected to ensure compliance with quality standards and criteria.

GE Aviation is constantly striving to improve efficiency and believes that developing the next generation manufacturing components like castings hinges upon our ability to improve efficiencies of the process and the capabilities of the materials that act as the DNA of global industry.

RESPONSE DEADLINE IS: JANUARY 28, 2015

REWARD

Up to six (6) respondents will each receive a cash prize of US$5000 for a total prize pool of up to US$30,000. In addition, successful participants may have the opportunity to become a collaborator/supplier to General Electric. Potential for further engagement with GE may include mentoring, funding for technical development, licensing, technology acquisition and/or collaboration toward commercialization and may involve vendor assessments, technology discussions and post-Challenge negotiations.

SUCCESS CRITERIA

Participants in this challenge will submit a detailed description of the proposed process and data that demonstrates the viability of this process to produce the described part (see BACKGROUND section for details) with conformance to the dimensional and metallurgical requirements stated.

Alternative manufacturing process must meet current inspection criteria.  In addition, the ideal manufacturing process should achieve one or more of the following:

• Reduce the cost of parts manufacturing significantly (a 25% reduction over investment casting is the goal) (Target cost: $5800);
• Improve upon the speed of manufacturing (Cycle time: 12 weeks);
• Typical production annual volume: 125; and
• Improve tolerance controls so as to permit reduction of material and maintain minimum wall thickness.

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