A subsidiary of Airbus and a global supplier of aircraft components, Satair has provided what it calls "the first certified metal 3D printed aviation spare part" for American Airlines customers.
After being unable to obtain parts from the original supplier, Satair developed a 3D printed A320ceo wingtip fence, which was difficult to provide castings. In addition to increasing the flexibility of parts production, additive manufacturing was chosen as an alternative manufacturing method due to competitive costs and delivery time factors.
Felix Hammerschmidt of Satair HO's additive manufacturing department said: "We received an order for replacement parts, and our AOG purchasing department sought a solution from the additive manufacturing team." "After a short pre-assessment, the parts have been handed over to Airbus. RapidSpares design office.
"Through the new certification process, they were able to recertify old castings within five weeks and adapt them to titanium, which is a qualified airworthy additive manufacturing material."
Aerospace 3D printing spare parts
Although Satair’s A320ceo wingtip fence may be the first certified metal-printed flight spare part, 3D printing has been used for some time in the design and manufacture of prototypes and functional parts in other areas of the aerospace industry.
Earlier this year, 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys and Singapore aircraft expert SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) joint venture company Additive Flight Solutions (AFS) for 3D printing aviation parts obtained AS9100D certification.
Stratasys 3D printers have also used other companies in this field, including the UK-based global engineering company GKN Aerospace, to reduce its production time, along with aerospace experts IDEC and prototype service provider Wehl and partners, who use The cost and material waste involved in cutting composite molding with Stratasys’ 3D printers are reduced.
In January, the American multinational aviation giant Boeing completed the first flight of its 777X jet, which is powered by GE Additive's dual GE9X engines equipped with more than 300 3D printed parts. The new aircraft is expected to enter service in 2021.
Airbus itself is no stranger to 3D printing, and it has previously cooperated with Stratasys and Farsoon Technologies to produce civilian 3D printing plastics. Earlier this year, Airbus and researchers from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC) of the University of Sheffield launched a large-scale manufacturing project. The researchers used Formlabs' 3D printing technology to produce 500 drill caps in two days, thus shortening the traditional delivery time by several weeks.
Prior to this, Australian metal 3D printer manufacturer Titomic received a job declaration purchase order from Airbus, involving the use of the company`s Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) additive manufacturing technology for the target application of 3D printed near-net demonstrator parts .
With the help of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing using FDM technology and ULTEM9085 resin to manufacture the Airbus A350 3D printed bracket, it can be additive manufacturing.
3D printed A320ceo wingtip fence
Satair's A320ceo wingtip fence has four installation versions: starboard, port, upper and lower, and these four parts are called ships. The printing of the wingtips was carried out at the Airbus Felton reference manufacturing plant, which received process certification last year, and the construction of a fleet of ships took 26 hours.
After printing, parts need to undergo various post-processing steps to become airworthy and obtain EASA Form 1 certification. The first batch of ships was delivered to the airline earlier this year, making it the first operator to use Airbus Metal 3D printed spare parts.
Compared with the traditional manufacturing process of parts, the non-repetitive cost is reduced by 45%, making it a more cost-effective solution for customers, and the delivery time is greatly shortened. This tailor-made 3D printing solution also reduces the possibility of AOG (ground aircraft) for this particular aircraft.
Satair CEO Bart Jeijnen said: "Satair is a leader in providing additive manufacturing parts for the aviation aftermarket. We have passed more than 300 parts certification, covering all Airbus aircraft family types (including tools and ground support equipment). ) Technology," Satair CEO said.
"With the demand for more than 7,000 A320ceo series aircraft in service worldwide, the demand for this special additive manufacturing part may increase, and with the establishment of this additive manufacturing supply chain, we will be able to Produce these parts in a short delivery time.