HAL to Tap 3D Printing Technology for 25-kN Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Project

[Chanakya's_Chant]

HAL to tap 3D printing for 25-kN engine project

GE designed a 3D printed miniature turbine engine ​

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) is all set to tap 3D printing technology to manufacture components for its Rs 458-crore 25-kN (kilonewton) aircraft engine project. ​

In an interaction with Deccan Herald, newly-appointed Chairman T Suvarna Raju said the 6.5-year-long project was going on track until a vendor who was to supply critical components abruptly backtracked.

Undaunted, the company decided to buy 3D printing equipment to master the brains of component manufacturing.

Raju said the preliminary design of the engine has been completed, and the operational unit will be on display at the HAL pavillion for the tenth edition of Aero India.

The country’s sole military aircraft manufacturer has conceived a strategic business unit (SBU) for tapping the potential $2-billion domestic market for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

HAL has already designed an 8-kg class UAV which will be demonstrated at Aero India. It is now trying to manufacture a 10-kg rotary UAV. Towards this end, the company has established a chair at IIT Kanpur where researchers under Prof. C Venkatesan have already readied a quadcopter, the HAL chairman said.

Big push on R&D ​

Instead of depending upon product obsolescence over 20 years and take up replacement activities, the chairman said HAL would like to get into R&D (research and development) vigorously.

The company has set apart 10 per cent of its profit after tax as an R&D corpus, which works out to around Rs 170 crore.

“We want to build cutting-edge technologies in-house and use them. Here I would like to develop platform-neutral technologies. Platforms like Jaguar, LH (light helicopter), Hawk and LCH (light combat helicopter) can benefit from such an R&D,” he said.

Another strategy which HAL is following is to set up chairs at reputed educational institutes like IITs and IISc, Bengaluru, and tap academia on cutting-edge technology. Research on gear boxes is taking place at IIT Chennai, on communications at IIT Mumbai, on radar and electronic warfare at IIT Kharagpur, and on UAVs at IIT Kanpur.

Operational streamlining is big on the chairman’s agenda. “The BK Chaturvedi Committee’s recommendations for restructuring the HAL board has been accepted. Also, HAL has brought its 10 R&D units under our design director using the structure of the Committee of Institutional Network (CoIN),” he said.

Aero clusters​

With the Design Development Management Board (DDMB) in place, there is now an established platform to share ideas with the aero clusters at NAL and DRDO labs, Raju said. Also, a National Aeronautics Co-ordination Group (NACG) has been set up to create a new aeronautics policy.

On the revenue front, Raju said HAL will double its topline within a five-year period.

“In the last financial year (2013-14) we achieved revenues of Rs 15,000 crore. It will grow with production at our various facilities along with co-development efforts,” he said.

Source:- HAL to tap 3D printing for 25-kN engine project

 

[batanee]

After Modi effects started

 

[bloo]

Awesome, with such engines drones akin to the General Atomics Avenger are very well possible.

 

[possumlot]

This would be GREAT for a Nirbhay class cruise missile or something similar

It is cheap and easy to make and it only needs to fly the missile once.

 

[Astra-2013]

This would be GREAT for a Nirbhay class cruise missile or something similar

It is cheap and easy to make and it only needs to fly the missile once.

cruise missiles at max requires 4 to 5KN thrust.......25kn engine will be useful for trainers and drones

 

[OTTOMAN]

Awesome, with such engines drones akin to the General Atomics Avenger are very well possible.

Will you print them on A4 or A3 size?

 

[possumlot]

cruise missiles at max requires 4 to 5KN thrust.......25kn engine will be useful for trainers and drones

I don't mean the same engine. 3D printing for cruise missile engines which will be cheap and fast to produce.

 

[kbd-raaf]

I don't mean the same engine. 3D printing for cruise missile engines which will be cheap and fast to produce.

No.

 

[bloo]

Will you print them on A4 or A3 size?

Does it matter? It'll still be better than anything "certain countries" have.

No.

Actually the initial cost will be higher, however it'll be lesser than manufacturing a product in the conventional fashion namely labor and other costs will be drastically reduced. Manufacturing cost with 3D printing is the same for small-scale and mass production therefore storage costs are also decreased. Over all its a very efficient and cheap technology in the long run.

 

[Sugarcane]

Why just components? Why not print whole plane?

 

[OTTOMAN]

Does it matter? It'll still be better than anything "certain countries" have.

Only what matters is 'bird in hand'

 

[bloo]

Only what matters is 'bird in hand'

Doesn't really matter to us.

 

[Echo_419]

Why just components? Why not print whole plane?

I think we are not that advanced in this field,so we will go only for limited 3D printed components

HAL to tap 3D printing for 25-kN engine project

GE designed a 3D printed miniature turbine engine ​

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) is all set to tap 3D printing technology to manufacture components for its Rs 458-crore 25-kN (kilonewton) aircraft engine project. ​

In an interaction with Deccan Herald, newly-appointed Chairman T Suvarna Raju said the 6.5-year-long project was going on track until a vendor who was to supply critical components abruptly backtracked.

Undaunted, the company decided to buy 3D printing equipment to master the brains of component manufacturing.

Raju said the preliminary design of the engine has been completed, and the operational unit will be on display at the HAL pavillion for the tenth edition of Aero India.

The country’s sole military aircraft manufacturer has conceived a strategic business unit (SBU) for tapping the potential $2-billion domestic market for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

HAL has already designed an 8-kg class UAV which will be demonstrated at Aero India. It is now trying to manufacture a 10-kg rotary UAV. Towards this end, the company has established a chair at IIT Kanpur where researchers under Prof. C Venkatesan have already readied a quadcopter, the HAL chairman said.

Big push on R&D ​

Instead of depending upon product obsolescence over 20 years and take up replacement activities, the chairman said HAL would like to get into R&D (research and development) vigorously.

The company has set apart 10 per cent of its profit after tax as an R&D corpus, which works out to around Rs 170 crore.

“We want to build cutting-edge technologies in-house and use them. Here I would like to develop platform-neutral technologies. Platforms like Jaguar, LH (light helicopter), Hawk and LCH (light combat helicopter) can benefit from such an R&D,” he said.

Another strategy which HAL is following is to set up chairs at reputed educational institutes like IITs and IISc, Bengaluru, and tap academia on cutting-edge technology. Research on gear boxes is taking place at IIT Chennai, on communications at IIT Mumbai, on radar and electronic warfare at IIT Kharagpur, and on UAVs at IIT Kanpur.

Operational streamlining is big on the chairman’s agenda. “The BK Chaturvedi Committee’s recommendations for restructuring the HAL board has been accepted. Also, HAL has brought its 10 R&D units under our design director using the structure of the Committee of Institutional Network (CoIN),” he said.

Aero clusters​

With the Design Development Management Board (DDMB) in place, there is now an established platform to share ideas with the aero clusters at NAL and DRDO labs, Raju said. Also, a National Aeronautics Co-ordination Group (NACG) has been set up to create a new aeronautics policy.

On the revenue front, Raju said HAL will double its topline within a five-year period.

“In the last financial year (2013-14) we achieved revenues of Rs 15,000 crore. It will grow with production at our various facilities along with co-development efforts,” he said.

Source:- HAL to tap 3D printing for 25-kN engine project

Good to see HAL is transforming itself to become a innovator from a assembler only

 

[kbd-raaf]

Actually the initial cost will be higher, however it'll be lesser than manufacturing a product in the conventional fashion namely labor and other costs will be drastically reduced. Manufacturing cost with 3D printing is the same for small-scale and mass production therefore storage costs are also decreased. Over all its a very efficient and cheap technology in the long run.

No. 3D printing is still shitty for mass production. If we were talking about aviation spare parts, you would have a point.

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

HAL shows off 25-kN engine but doesn’t disclose its application

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) showcased model of new 25kN jet engine at its pavilion at the latest edition of Aero India and its very first visitor was none other then Prime minister of India who was given detail explanation on development of the new engine .

458-crore 25-kN jet engine project has been in development for last 5 years and preliminary design of the engine has been completed, HAL will soon start working on the development of Components for the new engine and assembly of the engine will start in next two years admitted HAL officials in Aero India 2015 stall .

When asked about its application and which platform it will power? , Answer was simple ” for future platforms “. HAL refused to provide further information on the application of new jet engine, but disclosed development of new 8kN jet engine which will be used for Medium class UAV’s.

Compared to bigger 110kN engine which India wants to develop to power 5th generation fighter jet AMCA, 25-kN jet engines seems like low key development but BAE Hawk AJT’s used by IAF are powered by Rolls-Royce Adour Mk. 951 turbofans engines which generate 29 kN of thrust, so a 25kN engine can be used to power small aircrafts.

Engine been used for India’s Autonomous unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) can also be ruled out since GTRE will be using Dry version of Kaveri engine which will be producing 40kN of thrust much higher then what HAL will be developing .

HAL’s plans to develop Advance Jet Trainer (AJT) to supplement BAe Hawk AJTS already used in Indian Air force has been long abandon after IAF showed no interest in the project. HAL’s troubled HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer aircraft project uses NPO Saturn AL-55I engine which generates 16.9 kN of thrust, engine has been developed with Russians which includes firm orders for 250 engines to be manufactured at HAL facilities and TOT license for 1000 engines . so new engine powering HJT-36 at later stage too can be ruled out .

Speculations are indicating that HAL wants to develop new unarmed Stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance aircraft which will fall in the category of High altitude, long endurance UAV (or HALE UAV) and can be used for military operations and will have long endurance. While HAL has still not disclosed any information about the application of a new engine nor confirmed development of any future platforms which will use this engine, so until then it might remain a speculation for some time about its usage.

HAL shows off 25-kN engine but doesn’t disclose its application | idrw.org