Wabtec Corporation invests in GE Additive’s Binder Jet technology
May 15, 2019
GE’s Binder Jet system, the H2, is in its beta-stage (Courtesy GE Additive)
Wabtec Corporation, a global provider of equipment and services for the freight and transit rail industries, headquartered in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, USA, has invested in GE Additive’s new H2 Binder Jet technology. According to Wabtec, this investment will accelerate its growing additive strategy and its application to the transportation industry.
Philip Moslener, global director of WabtecOne Platform & Applied Innovation, stated, “Additive is one of the key technology pillars for our company and central in our efforts to drive innovation in the industries we serve. This binder jet machine will help us design and produce reliable, low-cost components for our current and developmental engines, locomotive, transit and mining programmes.”
According to Wabtec, it has already received its first H2 machine, which is currently located at GE Additive’s labs in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. A team from Wabtec will be co-located at the lab to work on technology development, before the machine is relocated to its facility in Grove City, Pennsylvania, later this year. The company has reportedly identified that additive technologies could be used in the production of up to 250 components for its product lines by 2025, and has stated that it will be working closely with the GE Additive team in order to support its industrialisation strategy.
Example part built on GE’s H2 Binder Jet system (Courtesy GE Additive)
GE Additive revealed the first prototype of its Binder Jet system, then called the H1, in December 2017. The company is now quickly scaling its Binder Jet technology, first into pilot lines, then into a complete, industrialised factory solution, and Cummins Inc., became one of the first customers to invest in the H2 Binder Jet technology last month. It is expected to be commercially available in 2021.
“Throughout 2018, a multi-disciplinary team at GE Additive developed the second generation ‘H2’ binder jet beta machines. Today, parts are being printed on those machines, which we understand provide the largest format and fastest build speed currently on the market,” commented Josh Mook, innovation leader at GE Additive.
“Fast forward to early 2019 and we launched the H2 beta testing and partner programme. We deliberately sought out partners and key customers, like Wabtec, who are committed to mass production, but also known and respected for their commitment to the early adoption of innovation. Most importantly we want to partner with customers whose businesses will benefit tremendously from Binder Jet’s ability to reliably print large, complex parts at high throughput and low cost.”
