Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Enabling On-Demand Aerospace Component Manufacturing: Topology Optimization of GE Engine Bracket and Fabrication Using Metal FFF

Conference ·
Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers advantages over conventional manufacturing processes, particularly by reducing the number of parts produced through multistage combined technologies, but these often result in low manufacturing yields or require post-processing. AM facilitates the production of complex geometries with fine features, overhangs, and lattice structures. For instance, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology enables the fabrication of intricate parts that can be easily post-processed by removing residual powder. Laser powder bed AM technologies are widely discussed in the literature due to their design freedom in creating complex geometries, with and without the need for support generation. However, rapid solidification due to a thermal gradient in the build direction, which leads to the formation of columnar grains and warpage, is one of the challenges. To address this challenge, we propose layer-by-layer metal FFF technology, followed by the debinding and sintering process, as an alternative to powder- and laser-based approaches. Furthermore, design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) principles are discussed to minimize the need for support generation and enable easy post-processing, thereby improving surface finish to meet high tolerances in fabricating components for aerospace and healthcare applications.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725;
OSTI ID:
3022127
Resource Type:
Conference paper/presentation
Conference Information:
ASME 2025 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE 2025) - Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America - 11/16/2025-11/20/2025
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Related Subjects