Improved parts for aviation companies

3D printing in aviation has several main advantages:

The first is the ability to save weight, which matters a great deal in aviation and has knock-on effects everywhere. The saving comes from removing material and redesigning the parts, without giving up their strength.

The second lies in being able to make and supply parts quickly. There are situations where manufacturers stop producing spare parts and companies in the aviation industry, El Al among them, are left without parts for aircraft that are still flying.

The third, and an important one, is the range of printing materials, which makes it possible to reproduce any part and produce it in a wide range of materials, metals included. Combining plastic printing with metal coating is ideal, because it puts low weight together with high durability.

Aviation is moving towards 3D printing in great strides, and Airbus has announced hundreds of parts already produced this way and fitted to their aircraft.

How it works in practice

Additive manufacturing in aviation splits into three entirely different uses. The first is development and prototyping – where there are no particular documentation requirements. The second is tooling and jigs for the production floor. The third, and the most involved, is aircraft interior parts that actually go into the aeroplane.

The materials that make it possible

• ULTEM 9085 – flame retardant, temperature resistant, a high strength-to-weight ratio. The common material for aircraft interior applications.
• ULTEM 1010 – the most temperature-resistant material in the FDM family.
• PA 2210 FR – a flame-retardant nylon for the powder technologies.
• Carbon-fibre reinforced nylon 12 – for lightweight structural parts.

See choosing a material and FDM printing.

Why this is a threshold requirement rather than an advantage

In aviation procurement the first requirement is not about the part, it is about the manufacturer: a certified quality system, full traceability of the material batch, and configuration management that prevents production to an out-of-date drawing. We hold AS9100D and ISO 9001, so you can order from us without opening a supplier approval process from scratch.

A similar project of your own?

Send us a file or a description of the problem and you will get a recommendation on technology, material and timescale – talk to an engineer. See also product design and development and 3D printing production.