Airbus installs first 3D printed titanium part manufactured by Arconic; a part which is installed on a series production Airbus commercial aircraft, the A350 XWB.
“Arconic is proud to partner with Airbus to advance aerospace additive manufacturing,” said Jeremy Halford, President of Arconic Titanium and Engineered Products. “Our comprehensive capabilities, from materials science leadership to qualification expertise, helped make this achievement possible. We look forward to continuing to advance the art of the possible in additive for aerospace.”
As for Airbus,this is not a première for the specialist of aerospace regarding additive manufacturing in general. Indeed, the company had already signed a commercial agreement with Dassault Systèmes for a large-scale production using additive manufacturing. Another collaboration is seen with 3D Systems to achieve first 3D Printed RF Filter.
A 3D printed titanium part, a milestone for AM in aerospace
The reality is that, airplane makers have been using 3D printed parts for quite some time, largely for components inside the cabin. Equipping airframes with metal parts produced via additive manufacturing is new.
In addition, Airbus’s installation of this 3D printed titanium bracket on a series production commercial airplane, as opposed to a test airplane, marks a significant step forward in the qualification of more complex 3D printed parts for production aircraft.
3D-printed parts, including metal printed cabin brackets and bleed pipes, are already flying on Airbus A320neo and A350 XWB test aircraft.
This 3D printed titanium bracket is part of an ongoing partnership between Airbus and Arconic. Last year, the technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing giant announced three agreements with Airbus to produce titanium and nickel 3D printed parts for commercial aircraft, including the A320 platform and A350 XWB.
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