Clemson University, GE Power push advanced manufacturing forward at GE Power’s Additive Manufacturing Lab in Greenville

GE Power dedicates three advanced machines, 1,000 square feet inside company’s Greenville-based Advanced Manufacturing Works for use by Clemson students, faculty and staff.  

Lab will create new educational opportunities, talent pipeline in additive manufacturing across South Carolina.

GREENVILLE — Clemson University students, faculty and staff can now learn and innovate using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology alongside General Electric (GE) engineers in the new Additive Manufacturing Lab at GE Power’s Advanced Manufacturing Works facility. Unveiled at a ceremony with leaders and constituents from GE and Clemson Wednesday, the 1,000-square-foot space is Clemson’s first additive manufacturing lab housed at a corporate partner’s site.

The lab is part of a strategic partnership between Clemson and GE that will accelerate innovations in additive manufacturing, provide expanded educational opportunities for Clemson undergraduate and graduate students and create a robust engineering talent pipeline for industry across the state.

“Our state is a leader in advanced manufacturing and Clemson will continue to be a valuable resource for our industry partners,” said Clemson President James P. Clements. “This state-of-the-art lab will provide our students with a unique, hands-on learning experience and better prepare them for the work force. I am grateful to GE for providing our students with this opportunity.”

The Clemson-run lab will be managed by the university’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing. It will feature three machines that print in both metal and industrial plastic, including a new GE Additive Concept Laser M2 Cusing direct metal laser melting (DMLM) machine. GE professionals will train students this spring on specific uses of additive manufacturing as well as optimized machine operations and post-processing techniques.This will provide them with skills and experience on cutting-edge technology used by industry leaders today.

“We know advanced manufacturing will continue transforming business around the globe and we’re leaders in the field,” said John Lammas, chief engineer and chief technology officer of GE Power. “By partnering with Clemson, a South Carolina top public institution, 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.

Graduate students in the automotive engineering department will be the first to take advantage of this new lab. Through the Deep Orange program, Clemson students work with automotive manufacturers to engineer and build a car from concept to reality within two years. The Additive Manufacturing Lab will make it possible for students to design and create parts needed for the project more efficiently than before, producing breakthrough results not possible with traditional manufacturing.

This partnership was developed through Clemson’s Office of Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives. Other departments at Clemson are invited to work alongside students and GE engineers in the lab.

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Clemson University
Clemson University is a major, land-grant, science- and engineering-oriented research university in South Carolina that maintains a strong commitment to teaching and student success. Ranked No. 24 among national public universities, Clemson is an inclusive, student-centered community characterized by high academic standards, a culture of collaboration, school spirit, and a competitive drive to excel. Founded in 1889, Clemson remains committed both to world-class research and a high quality of life. The campus sits on 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, along the shores of Hartwell Lake and has research facilities and economic development hubs throughout the state of South Carolina in Greenville, Greenwood, Anderson, Columbia and Charleston. The research, outreach and entrepreneurial projects led by the faculty and students are driving economic development and improving quality of life in South Carolina and beyond.

GE Power
GE Power is a world energy leader providing equipment, solutions and services across the energy value chain from generation to consumption. Operating in more than 180 countries, our technology produces a third of the world’s electricity, equips 90 percent of power transmission utilities worldwide, and our software manages more than forty percent of the world’s energy. Through relentless innovation and continuous partnership with our customers, we are developing the energy technologies of the future and improving the power networks we depend on today. For more information please visit www.ge.com/power, and follow GE Power on Twitter and on LinkedIn.