Cabin Management Solutions (CMS), a privately held in-flight cabin management and entertainment systems company, is using additive manufacturing for luxury aircraft’s end use parts.
Since 2019 that the company has been founded, it has been working with aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) companies and individual aircraft owners to design and develop cabin control and entertainment systems for luxury, private, and business jets. Those end-use parts are meant for cabin management maintenance, upgrades, and replacements in aircrafts.
In this specific case, the company relied on Markforged’s X7 3D Printers & Onyx™ FR to fabricate custom parts that are high-strength, low-weight, flame-retardant, and FAA compliant. The industrial carbon fiber 3D printer could print parts in hours that can be as strong as machined aluminum.
CMS explains that on one aircraft in particular, they 3D printed at least 100 different parts, including approximately 20 light switch panels, a cabin climate controller, latches, release buttons, USB-C and drop-in USB-A chargers, and adjustable touch screen brackets.
In order to meet the specific demands of its luxury-oriented customers, the CMS team then adds an extra level of customization via overlays that mimic upscale cabin surfaces including gold metal electroplating, wood veneer, and more. CMS’s process ensures the end-product is FAA compliant while going above and beyond customers’ expectations for aesthetics.
Moving forward, CMS plans to continue leveraging Markforged’s additive solutions, especially with the manufacturer’s recent release of Onyx™ FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A—aerospace-ready versions of its Onyx FR and Carbon Fiber FR materials.
These two new materials come with full material traceability and are undergoing qualification on the Markforged X7 printer via a program conducted by the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP), one of two bodies authorized by the FAA to qualify materials for flight. Once this process is complete, CMS will be able to increase its overall production speed, which will result in adding even more jobs to its already expanding pipeline.
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