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FAA clears first 3-D-printed part to fly in GE commercial jet engines

A fist-sized piece of silver metal that houses the compressor inlet temperature sensor inside a jet engine has become a symbol for big change in jet engine design. The housing for the sensor, known as T25, recently became the first 3-D-printed part certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly inside GE commercial jet engines.

GE Aviation currently is working with Boeing to retrofit more than 400 GE90-94B jet engines for Boeing’s 777 planes with the 3-D-printed housing. Made from a cobalt-chrome alloy, it protects the temperature sensor’s delicate electronics from icing and punitive airflows inside the engine.

“The 3-D printer allowed us to rapidly prototype the part, find the best design, and move it quickly to production,” said Bill Millhaem, general manager for the GE90 and GE9X engine programs at GE Aviation. “We got the final design last October, started production, got it FAA-certified in February, and will enter service next week. We could never do this using the traditional casting process, which is how the housing is typically made.”