Why 3D printing makes sense for the aerospace industry
20th Mar 2024 | In News | By Mike Richardson
Garry Sellick, additive manufacturing manager at Airframe Designs, explains why 3D printing technology is so important to the aerospace and related industries.
With its commitment to innovation and technology to reduce waste, the aviation industry is striving to design and develop lighter parts for aircraft and contribute to the wider initiative towards net zero.
Our customers, and their customers, are under increasing pressure to produce parts that are lighter and more efficient than ever before. At Airframe Designs, we are rapidly developing the skills and technology to deliver on that on behalf of our customers and the whole supply chain. More than that, this technology can be adapted for diverse industries including automotive, space, nuclear and rail.
To offer increased capability and quality of parts and tools, we have invested in a second 3D printing machine - a state-of-the-art Stratasys Fortus 450 – as well as a new 5-axis milling machine and new sophisticated resin printing technology.
This technology enables us to produce lightweight, highly accurate and robust airframe parts and tooling which are delivered at pace, whilst also helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Meanwhile, we are also pushing the boundaries in a project aiming to be a world-first in aircraft part production through a 3D printing project with the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP).
This is an 18-month government-funded programme aiming to be a world-first in airworthy part production using water-soluble support in the 3D printing process with faster manufacture and less potential for damage than current manual support removal methods.
Helping to lead the industry in this crucial technology make us feel proud. It is also a part of our transition as a growing, ambitious business with values we will not lose sight of – to be excellent in everything we do.
To help build our business excellence, we also need the right people in the right roles. To that end, we’re currently recruiting for people with experience and the relevant skills, and we invite them to apply if they want to join our team.
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