Advances in 3D printing could be a key driver in the future cost reduction of wind turbine technology, according to General Electric. Last month signed a partnership agreement with Fraunhofer IGCV and Voxeliet to develop one the world’s largest 3D printers to serve the offshore wind market. The Advanced Casting Cell (ACC) 3D printer will be used to produce print molds for castings of up to 9.5 meters in diameter, with a weight of over 60 tons. These ‘sand molds’ can then be used to produce the wide range of intricate parts that are required within the nacelle of General Electric’s Haliade X offshore wind turbine, with capacities of up to 14 MW. Such turbines were recently selected as the…