This printer is dedicated to a collaboration with GE Vernova and aims to support the US energy transition to sustainable and renewable sources.

With a build envelope of approximately 70 square metres, the VX9000 will be used to print moulds for wind and water turbine castings. A giant step towards a new scale in additive manufacturing.

A year ago, voxeljet and GE Research received $14.9 million from DoE (Department of Energy, USA) to develop a 3D printer known as the VX9000 system. The new, extremely large 3D printer is now in assembly.

voxeljet have developed and are building the 3D sand printer with breakthrough size for the additive manufacturing of sand moulds for casting parts ranging from 10 tons to over 60 tons

The DoE grant was granted to fund the development and commercialisation of a voxeljet sand binder jet 3D printer used to manufacture massive sand casting moulds. The system was originally announced as a collaborative project between voxeljet and GE in 2021. The additional DoE funding awarded to GE Research will help to complete development and bring it to market.

The new manufacturing technology will produce metallic near-net shape (NNS) components for the wind and hydro energy sectors, reducing production time and costs. voxeljet have developed and are building the 3D sand printer with breakthrough size for the additive manufacturing of sand moulds for casting parts ranging from 10 tons to over 60 tons.

With the DoE’s involvement, GE Research selected voxeljet as its partner for the $14.9 million award in federal funding for the development and commercialisation of the large sand binder jet 3D printer, also referred to as Advanced Casting Cell (ACC), to accelerate the United States’ transition to clean power. In addition to voxeljet, GE Research also selected GE Hydro, GE Onshore Wind, GE Offshore Wind, Clemson University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Hodge Foundry as partners on the ACC project.

The Advanced Casting Cell project was established to strengthen the US manufacturing industry and expertise to boost the cost-effective domestic production of large metallic near-net shape (NNS) components in alignment of the Biden Administration’s clean power-generation strategy. The ACC will be developed and deployed to produce sand moulds to manufacture metallic NNS parts. With the development of the ACC, the project includes the digital creation of mould designs via a digital foundry as well as the completion of a techno-economic analysis of cost and supply chain challenges.

The goal is to reduce the time it takes to produce this pattern and mould, from around ten weeks to two weeks

The project aims to produce 3D printed large scale sand moulds 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 mould, from around ten weeks to two weeks.

This novel manufacturing technology has the potential to reduce overall hydropower costs by 20% and lead times by four months. The project will also include the production optimisation of a 16-ton rotor hub using the ACC as well as the development of a robotic welding process for the assembly of a >10-ton Francis runner. To help ensure the successful implementation of ACC, an advanced manufacturing curriculum is being created for local workforce development to train and engage workers on the specifics of this 3D printing manufacturing technology.

The development and cost-efficient manufacturing of clean power-generation technologies is in high demand because it is key to meeting and overcoming global climate challenges.

The VX9000 BFP, made in collaboration with GE, is expected to be the world’s largest binder-jet 3D printer for producing critical components for the next generation of wind turbines called Haliade-X. The build area will be between 60 and 70 square metres, more than seven times the build area of voxeljet’s currently larger system VX4000. This voluminous build space paves the way for a drastic reduction in the number of separate components required.

The system will later be able to print around 300 tons of material so that it can be used for the production of wind turbine parts such as the nacelle, among other things. The first printing test should be possible in the coming months.