News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
With day two of the Paris Air Show underway, it is becoming clear that there is a significant emphasis on additive manufacturing at the event, with aerospace companies further investing in 3D printing or partnering with AM leaders. Today, France-based aerospace and defense company Safran has unveiled the Add+ engine technological demonstrator, which is made up of 30% 3D printed components.
VINCI Construction, a France-based construction leader, is launching a new company focused on 3D printing high-performance concrete materials through its subsidiary Freyssinet. The company, called Concreative, offers a fully integrated service, providing support from early design stages to on-site installation.
GKN Aerospace has announced the commissioning of a second additive manufacturing cell at the U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The cell (Cell 2) is expected to be the world’s largest pilot production cell utilizing laser metal deposition with wire (LMD-w) processes. The announcement, made at the Paris Air Show, will enable GKN Aerospace to further its additive manufacturing research and development for large-scale structural aircraft components.
Though technology is often thought of in contrast to the natural world, certain innovations—such as generative design and 3D printing—are helping to connect us to nature in new and exciting ways. Large-format 3D printing company BigRep, for instance, recently unveiled a project called BANYAN ECO WALL, the world’s first fully 3D printed green wall.
Norsk Titanium, a supplier of 3D printed structural titanium components for the aerospace industry, has announced two significant milestones at the Paris Air Show this week. First, the company has successfully completed the latest phase of Boeing’s Material Allowables Program, which consists of characterizing the company’s Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) process. Second, the company is preparing to enter into the second testing phase for a 3D printed integrally bladed rotor (IBR).
GKN Aerospace is to lead two ground-breaking collaborative additive manufacturing research programs, AIRLIFT and DAM and will inject its unique Laser Metal Deposition by wire (LMD-w) AM technology in the programs. AIRLIFT and DAM are focused on making AM serial production ready at high rates and exploring how AM can revolutionize product design for high value, high complexity product manufacture. The aim is to accelerate industrialization and increase GKN Aerospace’s market share in the growing global AM market.
Oerlikon AM and MT Aerospace are partnering to accelerate the use of additive parts in the aerospace and defense industries. The partnership aims to bring efficiency and cost savings to the aerospace and defense market by providing end-to-end solutions to customers.
Boom Supersonic, the Colorado company building history’s fastest supersonic airliner, signed a seven-year agreement extension with Stratasys. The companies are further accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing for 3D printed flight hardware using the Stratasys F900 3D Printer with the Aircraft Interiors Solution (AIS) package.
Carpenter Technology Corporation, which is emerging as a market leading AM metal powder supplier, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed a collaboration to produce additively manufactured components for a serial production commercial aircraft.
Norsk Titanium, a supplier of structural, titanium 3D printed parts for the aerospace industry, has revealed details about its new Rapid Plasma Deposition (RPD) machine. The new 3D printer, the Gen-IVL, is capable of larger and faster 3D printing, enabling the production of even more complex aircraft and engine components.