May 7, 2015 at 18:54The new Airbus has more than 1000 parts printed on a 3D printer
The new aircraft of the French company Airbus A350 XWB, which is headquartered in Blagnac County, contains more than 1000 different parts made using 3D printing. They are made to order at the US-Israeli company Stratasys . The company claims that the final parts are lighter, stronger and less expensive than analogues made in the usual way.
The new model will be the first in the Airbus line, in which the details of the fuselage and wings are made of lightweight and durable carbon fiber. The company plans to deliver the first copies in December for Qatar Airways.
“We are pleased that Stratasys 3D printing solutions will be used in the new flagship Airbus A350 XWB. Our companies consider it necessary to use innovative technologies in development and production, generating serious advantages, ” says Dan Yalon, Stratasys Vice President . - Our production can produce parts to order and deliver on time. Cheaper production is achieved due to the absence of waste in production. ”
The company uses ULTEM 9085 thermoplastics in its production , from which parts are printed on an FDM printer. They are obtained not only lighter and more durable, but also fireproof and non-toxic.
During the March announcement of the aircraft, Peter Sander, Head of Innovation at Airbus, said that parts obtained by the new method weigh 30-55% less than standard parts, and their production uses 90% less raw materials and consumes 90% less electricity compared to traditional methods
Modern 3D printers are suitable for use in the aerospace industry, and not only for the manufacture of fuselage parts, but even for printing real engines. During the tests, the NASA rocket injector withstood the temperature of 3300 ° C, and its manufacture was much cheaper than welding from 163 individual parts according to the standard design. And at Monash University (Australia) they printed a copy of the gas turbine Microturbo (Safran).
