GE Research selects Voxeljet as partner on DoE $14.9M award to develop ACC

GE Research (GE) has selected voxeljet (VJET) as its partner for the U.S. Department of Energy’s DoE $14.9 million award in federal funding for the development and commercialization of a large sand binder jet 3D printer, called Advanced Casting Cell ACC , to accelerate the United States’ transition to clean power. The Advanced Casting Cell project was established to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing industry and expertise to boost the cost-effective domestic production of large metallic near net shape components in alignment of the Biden Administration’s clean power-generation strategy. The ACC will be developed and deployed to produce sand molds to manufacture metallic NNS parts. With development of the ACC, the project includes the digital creation of mold designs via a digital foundry as well as the completion of a techno-economic analysis of cost and supply chain challenges. The project aims to produce 3D-printed large scale sand molds to cast components for the nacelle of the GE Haliade-X Offshore Turbine. The nacelle, where mechanical components are housed, can weigh more than 60 metric tons. The goal is to reduce the time it takes to produce this pattern and mold, from around ten weeks to two weeks. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the global wind turbine nacelle market has estimated to be valued at $6.6B.