The GE9X is one of GE Aviation’s latest engine developments.

The engine itself is as wide as a Boeing 737 fuselage. Designed to power Boeing’s 777X – the biggest twinjet ever – the GE9X is cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than its predecessor the GE90 and is critical to help maintain GE’s leadership position in the jet engine market.

The challenge was that the GE9X is so large that no existing Engine Assembly Systems (EAS) stack projection platform was big enough to handle the individual part measurements and engine buildup. At ABTech, that wasn’t a problem because tailoring solutions for customers like GE is a core aspect of our product delivery philosophy.

GE has long recognized the value of stack projection in improving manufacturing productivity, reducing maintenance costs, and increasing the value of the critical engine asset. So ABTech worked with GE and its manufacturing partners to understand what modifications were required to our standard EAS3000 model. The result was two new platforms (shown below) designed to measure compressor and turbine cases up to 60″ in diameter, and to allow access to surfaces deep inside the parts.