On June 21, 2019, British additive manufacturing expert Renishaw is helping precision engineering service provider Frazer-Nash Manufacturing to produce a new type of aircraft mold equipment for its customer Kwikbolt.
Using the Renishaw AM 400 additive manufacturing system, compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods such as CNC machining, Frazer-Nash is able to produce fastening tools for aircraft panels, reducing time and cost. Renishaw's AM sales manager Stuart Offer explained why additive manufacturing has proven to be an effective method of producing the tool, commenting: "By using AM, Frazer-Nash can cost-effectively produce low-volume components."
Frazer-Nash is headquartered in the UK and provides design, manufacturing and precision engineering services to a wide range of industries, with a particular focus on the aerospace sector. Frazer-Nash originally purchased an additive manufacturing system from Renishaw in 2014 and acquired the AM 250 system for internal use.
Since then, the company has established a close working relationship with Renishaw and has chosen to buy AM 400 to help it produce metal parts for its customers. Frazer-Nash Managing Director Paul Mortlock commented: "We have established a close partnership with Renishaw over the past five years."
Frazer-Nash's project with its client Kwikbolt is considered one of its most successful projects in the field of additive manufacturing. Kwikbolt specializes in the production of aerospace fasteners using modern technology and materials, designed to revolutionize aircraft assembly. It is reportedly the only company in the world to produce specific temporary fastening devices for aligning aircraft panels and fuselages during vehicle assembly.
Using the Renishaw AM 400 system, Frazer-Nash can provide an effective solution for Kwikbolt to produce complex fastener tools, while simplifying the overall manufacturing process of the component. Compared to CNC machining using additive manufacturing, custom geometries of custom tools can be produced at a relatively low cost, while also requiring less time. Mortlock added: "The Kwikbolt project is a true AM success story, and the use of 3D printing means that we can easily produce custom components based on the requirements of each aerospace customer. Frazer-Nash now produces 25,000 AM parts per year and has expanded zero Parts range. "
Renishaw's metal additive manufacturing technology was previously used by aerospace organizations to produce high-performance parts. In 2017, Seville's Center for Advanced Aerospace Technology (CATEC) used its RenAM 500 3D printer to help develop high-speed turbine blades for the aerospace industry. The development of the parts is part of the Futuralve project, which is funded by the Spanish Government's Center for Industrial Technology Development (CDTI) to develop new technologies for high-speed aviation turbines.
In March 2019, Renishaw hosted an open day dedicated exclusively to aerospace additive manufacturing. 150 guests were invited to observe cutting-edge advanced manufacturing technology at the Company's Innovation Centre in Gloucestershire, and demonstrated the applications of Airbus, GKN, Rolls Royce, Castle Precision Engineering and Sandvik.