Siemens a global technology company with numerous locations throughout the Americas, has successfully tested 3D-printed metal turbine blades that could be used in production for power-generation. The blades survived testing under full-load engine conditions.
The blades can survive temperatures above 1,250°C (2,282°F) and extremely high pressures. The blades were printed by Material Solutions, a company Siemens acquired last year, using nickel superalloy powder. They were tested on a 13-megawatt SGT-400-type industrial gas turbine.
“When you apply casting procedures it will probably take one to one-and-a-half years to provide you with these blades because of their long lead time for tooling. And by applying additive manufacturing, we could significantly shorten lead time by down to three months,” said Christoph Haberland, Siemens Manufacturing Engineering.