GE will build a new facility in Pennsylvania between March and September next year, concerned with advanced manufacturing.
In a statement, GE said 50 engineers would initially be employed at the site, for which is has budgeted $US 32 million over three years.
The company cited an “intersection of technology and manufacturing marrying hardware with software” in its announcement, and the revolutionising of manufacturing due to this.
The new site was a reflection of the influence of “advanced manufacturing” – a term that can mean different things depending on who says it – which GE said was “about making things better and faster for customers. It includes new digital fabrication technology, lean manufacturing methods and rapid-prototyping, advanced materials sciences, supply chain efficiency and open innovation.”
The new jobs at the site, located at Findlay Township, outside of Pittsburgh, would add to 8,500 others at GE in the state, employed in transportation, power and water, oil and gas, and energy management.
3Dprint.com and others note that it marked a further commitment by GE to 3D printing, which it is using to create nozzles in its next generation LEAP engines.
Each engine includes 20 one-piece nozzles (which formerly had a part count of 20), which will be lighter than usual and help increase fuel efficiency.
Image: GE