Jet Engine 3D Printed 2-spool high bypass turbofan

Jet Engine 3D Printed a cutaway model of a 2-spool high bypass turbofan. I designed the whole engine from scratch with cues to certain existing engines. For example, I think Rolls-Royce makes the best-looking fans, so there’s some resemblance there… Since originally uploading this in 2016, the popularity of this model has grown far beyond expectations. The model has appeared in numerous publications, additive manufacturing expos/conferences, and is (for better or worse) being made and sold by a number of 3rd parties. However, rest assured that this is one of the official sources for this model. A bunch of remixes of this engine are out there, mostly here in Thingiverse at the moment, if you are so inclined.

Several parts benefit from the use of custom supports. I included these supports in the parts as needed, and they are much better than a slicer’s default grid-like support structures. However, certain parts (fan stator casing, for example) also have typical overhangs that still require normal supports that you’ll need to apply in your slicer. All parts with the custom supports have (With Supports) at the end of the file names. If you’d rather not use these custom supports, download instead the parts with (No Supports) at the end of the file names.

The biggest parts were designed to maximize an 8x10x8 build volume. I uploaded cut-in-half versions of the biggest parts (fan casings and stand) so smaller printers can print this without scaling everything down. These parts are down at the bottom of the file list and have the word “cut” somewhere in the file names.

Each part was designed with a specific printing orientation in mind (see “Individual Components with Orientations.zip” for pictures). Due to the concentric fit of many of the components, the order that parts are assembled is very important. I uploaded a diagram with labels to all parts for reference. Pay special attention to the orientation of the compressor stages so as not to install them backwards. Multiple assembly videos for this model are available on YouTube, just search for “3d printable jet engine assembly guide”.

Due to popular demand, I uploaded unsectioned, full-revolution versions of parts that had sections cut away (casings and stators, mostly). These all contain the custom supports and are contained in “Unsectioned Parts With Supports.zip”.

I organized the file list to separate between parts with and without the custom supports. Please refer to the BOM (Bill of Materials, aka Parts List) for keeping track of what parts to print.

======================================================================

The required fasteners (screws, washers, and nuts) and ball bearings are listed below. However, to make your life easier, Bambu Lab has created a hardware kit that includes these components: Jet Engine Model Components Kit – 006

• Metric machine screw, allen socket cap, 2.5mm x 0.45mm x 10mm (QTY 100)
• Metric flat washer, 2.5mm (QTY 200)
• Metric hex nut, 2.5mm x 0.45mm (QTY 100)
• 6204 open ball bearing 20x47x14 (QTY 2)
• 6003 open ball bearing 17x35x10 (QTY 2)

Disclaimer: The hardware kit link is an affiliate link, so I will get a small commission when you click the link and purchase.

======================================================================

This was originally printed on a Makergear M2, so the gaps and clearances that I designed in the model might not be optimal for your printer! If something is too tight or too loose, please notify me in the comments so that I can adjust them in my model and upload a revised file. Make sure your printer axes are as perpendicular as possible; otherwise, the engine will wobble and scrape as it spins. I also created a version of the turbine stages with a slightly reduced diameter to increase clearances to the turbine casing. These files are uploaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VBC36KALKzZ57uNSoB0HtXibc_TzEAfW?usp=sharing

Good luck and happy printing!