The GE Brief: May 27, 2021
LEANING INTO INNOVATION
Back in 2017, GE engineers surprised the world when they took what was then the world’s most powerful jet engine and turned it into a power plant with the potential to generate enough electricity for thousands of households. The feat got plenty of attention, but GE was not finished. Now another group from GE Aviation and GE Additive has turned the machine into an impressive example of lean management, the business philosophy driving GE’s transformation. Using lean, an international team was able to reduce the cost of four parts by as much as 35% in just 10 months, all during the pandemic.
Faster, simpler, better: The project is an example of the versatility of lean. Adapted from Japan in the 20th century, the business philosophy revolves around the idea of continuous improvement. Over the past half-century, it has produced remarkable results in American corporations. GE has used it to improve manufacturing and services, reduce inventory, simplify its office operations and, now, speed up innovation. “This is a game changer,” says GE Aviation’s Eric Gatlin (pictured above).
Read more here.
WATERWORLD
GE engineers turned the winning idea from a student hackathon into a submarine drone that can help improve the inspection of hydro turbines. When they tested it last fall at a dam in Canada, “the images were so clear, people thought it was photoshopped,” says David Auger-Habel, lead engineer at GE Renewable Energy’s Hydro Solutions unit. “We had to show the customer videos with fish swimming across to prove it was actually an underwater inspection.”
Youth movement: The GE-sponsored hackathon took place in Montreal in 2019 and included Canadian college students who teamed up with GE engineers. GE fast-tracked the winning design, called “Yellow Submarine,” and turned it into a prototype in six months. The same way a deep-ocean submersible gathers footage from a tethered camera, engineers can maneuver the ROV through the turbine as it takes high-definition, 360-degree images.
Click here for the full story of GE Renewable Energy’s underwater drone.
The U.K.’s Dogger Bank wind farm is projected to be the world’s largest after its scheduled completion in 2026. See how GE’s Haliade-X turbines are helping to make it possible.
And read more here about GE Renewable Energy’s work on Dogger Bank.
— QUOTE OF THE DAY —
“We simplified as many steps as we could so the team could run fast.”
— Eric Gatlin, additive manufacturing leader, GE Aviation
Quote: GE Reports. Images: Tomas Kellner for GE Reports, GE Renewable Energy.