Since we opened our Global Research Center in Munich in 2004, we have been working with partners from all sectors of German society to advance our research in the fields of renewable energy, materials and security. The German government recently awarded GE Aviation and GE’s Global Research Center a research grant valued at more than $1 million to develop an advanced “cold-spray” manufacturing technology for jet engine components. The process involves depositing powder materials at super-high velocities — up to Mach 4 — onto a surface, to coat or build a solid part.

Here’s what Carlos Haertel, the Head of GE’s Global Research Center in Europe, had to say about the research.



The process will replace heavy parts that are currently used in an engine with much more lightweight material. By using the “cold-spray” process to coat or build these parts, we will improve modern jet engines by making them lighter and, therefore, more fuel-efficient, as well as manage the costs associated with manufacturing and maintaining them.

With the support of the German government, Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, and leading German technology companies, we will help drive innovation in a new area of aviation. Our objective is to begin producing engine components with the new technology in 2012 at GE Aviation’s pilot manufacturing site in Regensburg, Germany.

The ability to develop advanced materials and fabricate them into engine components is driving the competitive landscape of jet propulsion. The stakes are high in developing this kind of technology, and with the help of the research grant from the German government, GE is on the cutting edge. We strongly believe that a continued commitment to innovative technology and R&D will drive growth for our economies now and in the future.

* Read the press release