(l-r) Welding Engineering Professor Antonio Ramirez Londono; College of Engineering Dean David B. Williams; GE Advanced Lead Engineer Michael Meade; GE Aviation General Manager Mike Kauffman; GE University Relations Manager Cindy Hendrickson; Ohio State Vice President of Economic and Corporate Engagement Matt McNair; GE Additive Engineering Leader Mark Meyer; and Materials Science and Engineering Chair Peter Anderson
The Ohio State University is one of eight universities worldwide to receive a gift of a 3-D printer as a part of the GE Additive Education Program. The Concept Laser Mlab cusing R metal printing machine will be used to benefit students and education in the Welding Engineering program in Ohio State's College of Engineering.
Ohio State recently celebrated by hosting GE Additive leadership to see the printer in action, where they learned from faculty, staff and students in the Engineering Welding program how the gift will enhance their academic pursuits.
Additive manufacturing (AM), which is also known as 3-D printing, involves taking digital designs from computer aided design (CAD) software and laying horizontal cross-sections to manufacture the part. Essentially "grown" from the ground up, additive components generate less scrap material and are typically lighter and more durable than traditionally manufactured parts because they require less welding and machining.
"We are very happy GE chose to donate this printer to Ohio State in recognition of our Welding Engineering program and Antonio Ramirez's commitment to education and research," said College of Engineering Dean David B. Williams. "The printer will allow our students to learn cutting-edge technology and prepare them for careers in a wide range of industries."
A leading end-user and innovator in AM, GE has invested approximately $1.5 billion in manufacturing and additive technologies across six GE businesses and is pioneering services applications throughout the company. GE created its Additive Education Program in 2017, planning to invest $10 million over five years to develop pipelines of future talent in AM.
Enabling educational institutions to provide access to 3-D printers will help accelerate the adoption of AM worldwide. "AM is revolutionizing the way we think about designing and manufacturing products," said Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President of GE Additive. "We want a pipeline of engineering talent that has additive in their DNA. This education program is our way of supporting that goal."
"Finding mutually beneficial partnerships is an increasingly important way for universities to add value beyond the classroom," said Matt McNair, Vice President of Economic and Corporate Engagement at Ohio State. "Gifts like this benefit student learning today while building a talent pipeline for the future for companies like GE."
More than 250 colleges and universities from around the world applied to the GE Additive Education Program. In addition to Ohio State, GE awarded seven other universities with a 3-D metal printer, including Auburn University, Boston University, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, University of Cincinnati, University of New South Wales and U.S. Naval Academy.
Two additional GE Additive metal printers were recently installed at Ohio State's Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME). Partnering with CDME to meet increasing 3-D printing needs among Ohio companies, Proto Precision Manufacturing Solutions purchased the industrial-grade Arcam Q10+ and Concept Laser metal printers.
For more information contact:
GE
www.ge.com/additive
The Ohio State University
614-292-OHIO (6446)
www.osu.edu