MATERIALS • PROCESSES • FINISHES
Re-designing the way to the
to take account of recent advances in metal 3D-printing technologies. Failing to do this could mean they miss out on opportunities to reduce cost and drive organisational value. As well as learning more about the capabilities of new-generation 3D printers, design engineers in the sector how and when to apply them, as they are increasingly being used alongside traditional manufacturing processes. In the past, manufacturers have
FUTURE A
Ian Joesbury advises aerospace experts to change their mindset when it comes to 3D printing
erospace manufacturers need to throw away the rulebook and review their entire approach to design engineering
3D-printing systems for a variety of reasons, including: productivity; quality
26
www.engineerlive.com
assurance; and the need for
limitations have also been a factor, as most early metal 3D printers could only produce parts up to 300mm3
. For
the aerospace industry, concerns about the reliability of 3D-printing machines to produce parts consistently, capable of important factor. The development of 3D printers
to produce intricate or complex parts to a high standard of repeatability is encouraging engineers in the high-value manufacturing sector to take the technology more seriously. terminology, but the fundamental process uses a bed of metal powder to create a layer of material on a plate, the metal powder is then melted where needed using a laser. This process is repeated a layer at a time until a complete part is manufactured. These machines are continuously
developing and are increasing in speed by using multiple lasers. They are also components that can now be up to 1m long, using scalable architecture, which should allow future expansion.
BETTER CONTROL Historically, even the same additive machine might produce variations in properties from one part to the next. The laser power used is just one of the these properties is the temperature that
the material reaches and how quickly it cools. The industry has worked on manufacturers such as Renishaw able to gather live data from melt pool process emissions to ensure repeatability. As a result, we are seeing more additive components appear, such as the fuel wing brackets on the Airbus A350WXB. The role of the metal powders used in manufacturing is critical to the properties of any part produced and improvements in the understanding of their key characteristics is also improving metal powders looked at how quickly particle shape, chemical composition and impurities. Another key factor is the ability to
the majority of metal powder used in the manufacturing process does component. Where this powder has been heated as it sits adjacent to molten metal, its properties can change. For this reason, controls are needed regarding the reuse of powders to avoid a deterioration of performance. It would not be sensible to discard all the recycling controls have been crucial in improving repeatability. Despite its many advantages, one
cannot be used to repair or add to an existing component. This however, can
Fully optimised 3D-printed metal seat frame. Courtesy of Assystem Technologies
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
