Additive Manufacturing for the Manufacture of Gas Turbine Engine Components: Literature Review and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging rapid manufacturing technique that builds parts by tracing their cross section, layer upon layer. This technology has many unique capabilities that are not found in conventional manufacturing techniques. One of these is its ability to produce very complex part geometries without the need for any tooling. This unique potential makes it the future manufacturing technique for very complex and intricate geometries such as gas turbine components. The current review investigates the available metal additive manufacturing techniques and materials, in respect of their applicability for gas turbine engine components. From the investigation, it is clear that AM is in a promising progress for the manufacture of aircraft gas turbine components. The current limitations of AM techniques for the production of gas turbine engine components are also covered. The future perspective of this technology in this regard has also been discussed.