Case Study: PRÄWEST achieves lower costs and faster fuel nozzle production with SLM Solutions

Stationary gas turbine for more efficient fuel injection

PRÄWEST, a contract manufacturer serving the aerospace and turbo machinery sectors, needed a more efficient way to produce a modified fuel nozzle component called the Swirler. The part required complex geometry, high material performance, and precise fuel distribution, making conventional manufacturing costly and time-consuming. SLM Solutions provided selective laser melting (SLM®) technology to address these production challenges.

Using SLM Solutions’ SLM® process, PRÄWEST manufactured the Swirler from IN 718 nickel alloy with a layer-by-layer additive workflow covering pre-process, build, and post-process steps. The result was a more functional design with internal lattice structures and channels, improved turbine efficiency, and reduced production costs by more than 65 percent. The case study also reports that throughput time was significantly reduced, with pre-production steps cut by up to 50 percent in series production.

PRÄWEST