The Use of 3D Printing Technology for Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry has always been at the forefront of innovation. Not surprisingly, it has been one of the first ones to incorporate the use of 3D printing or additive manufacturing technology. There are many different reasons why this disruptive technology has proved advantageous for the aerospace and space sectors. In this article, we discuss the ones that have proved to be game-changers.

How do 3D Printing Services Benefit the Aerospace Industry?

The benefits of using 3D printing technology for the aerospace industry are aplenty.

1. Achieve Design Freedom: 3D printing has drastically reduced assembly time, thereby simplifying the designing process and reducing wastage of resources as was the case in conventional manufacturing techniques. That said, even complex parts can be efficiently designed using 3D printing that would have been virtually impossible earlier. Manufacturers can give their designers ample freedom while completely eliminating tooling costs.
2. Drive supply chain innovations that enable quicker production: As the need for part-specific tooling gets eliminated, and common equipment can be used to produce parts, thereby realizing the true potential of on-demand production. Reduce your investments on inventory maintenance and speed up production for mass customizations.
3. Reduce Supply Chain Costs: The reduction in the number of parts involved in creating a particular product positively affects the entire supply chain. Save on unnecessary logistics and shipping costs, while also bringing down the overall production and marketing time, as compared to traditional methods of manufacturing.
4. High surface finish, a critical aspect in aircraft production can be achieved through 3D print technologies such as Material Jetting.
5. Part orientation for functional parts is very critical, especially for load-bearing components in aircraft.

3D Printed Aerospace Parts

The first 3D-printed part for the aerospace industry – a small titanium bracket – was used in an Airbus test aircraft in 2014. Since then, technology has been rapidly accepted.

• Jigs & Fixtures: 3D printing technology for aerospace industry can reduce 60-90% production costs by 3D printing parts such as jigs and fixtures, which are required in their hundreds.
• Surrogates for training purposes (generally used by NASA and air force bases) can be produced in no time using 3D printers.
• Mounting brackets that are essential components of life-saving systems in aircraft can be printed using SLM 3D printing technology.
• High detail visual prototypes can be produced efficiently using Material Jetting to better understand the form and fit of a particular component before final production. Rapid prototyping is also extremely useful in aerodynamic testing and analysis.

3D Printing Materials for Aerospace Applications

Zeal 3D Printing Services, spearheading Australia’s additive manufacturing landscape provides an array of options in 3D printing materials with their unique properties. We offer 3D printing in the following materials for the aerospace industry:

1. Standard Resin for cabin accessories and full-size panels
2. Nylon 12 for air ducts
3. Titanium, Aluminum for metal components
4. Digital ABS for bezels
5. Transparent resin for lights
6. Castable Resin or wax for casted metal parts, and many more!

Try Zeal 3D Printing to See the Difference!

ZEAL 3D Printing Services with its range of rapid prototyping services and technologies can aid in the designing and manufacturing of essential products in this sector at low costs and phenomenally quick turnaround times.

Rapid prototyping technologies, as offered by Zeal, include 3D printing, vacuum casting, and CNC machining, all valuable processes in the aerospace industry. Employ our professional services for advice and guidance on rapid prototyping, whether in metal or plastic, test their form, fit and function.

Avail our expert services for the manufacture of lightweight and complex parts (in the least complex way) for the aerospace industry in small batches. Reduce your cost of operations and quicken the turnaround time!

We adhere to the highest standards of customer service for all of our projects, including online 3D printing services. 3D printing is the future of efficiency, quality as well as safety in aviation and space explorations.