GE partners with Clemson University to open new additive manufacturing lab

General Electric (GE, Boston, Mass., U.S.) recently opened a new additive manufacturing lab under its strategic partnership with Clemson University (Clemson, S.C., U.S.).

GE dedicated 1,000 ft² of space at its GE Power division’s Advanced Manufacturing Works facility in Greenville, S.C., to the lab, which houses three GE 3D printers that print both plastic and metal. One of the three printers uses GE Additive’s direct metal laser melting (DMLM) technology.

The facility is Clemson’s first additive manufacturing lab to be hosted by a corporate partner. The university’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing, however, will manage the lab, which will be available to Clemson faculty, staff and students.

Officials said students would receive hands-on experience with 3D printing, allowing them to be better prepared to enter South Carolina’s advanced manufacturing workforce.

Students are scheduled to begin training with GE technicians this spring on specific additive manufacturing processes, as well as machine operations and post-processing techniques. Graduate students in Clemson’s Department of Automotive Engineering will be the first to take advantage of the lab.

“We will be able to train students from one of the country’s leading institutions to be the next generation of engineers, furthering their education and preparing them to move additive manufacturing forward,” John Lammas, GE Power Chief Engineer and CTO, said in a statement.