Far from exclusive to hobbyists and niche designers, 3D printing has broad applications on both small and massive scales. Aerospace companies are providing amazing examples of the types of complex challenges this quickly advancing technology can take on. In this article, we shine a light on how additive manufacturing is being used to move the sector upward, one layer at a time.
The Problems Additive Manufacturing Solves for Aerospace
The aerospace industry has not simply started using additive manufacturing because of its hype – this technology holds genuine promise for addressing some of the most pressing challenges in aircraft and spacecraft design today.
Additive manufacturing is making a significant impact in areas such as:
Weight Reduction
In aerospace, every gram counts. 3D printing allows for the creation of complex, lightweight structures that maintain strength while significantly reducing overall mass.
Design Flexibility
Additive manufacturing unlocks possibilities that were once inconceivable with manual assembly. Engineers can now design parts with intricate internal geometries that optimize performance and reduce material usage.
Rapid Prototyping
Additive manufacturing drastically speeds up the iterative design process. When new concepts can be tested and refined quickly, development cycles shorten, products go to market faster, and innovation accelerates.
Sustainability
On-demand manufacturing of spare parts can reduce inventory costs and minimize downtime for repairs. It can also contribute to more sustainable aerospace practices by minimizing material waste and enabling the use of recycled or eco-friendly materials in certain applications.
Material Innovation
Many advanced materials, from high-performance polymers to metal alloys, are compatible with 3D printing processes. And as 3D printing technology evolves, so does the range of materials at our disposal.
Real-World Uses of Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace
Many of the vessels we see flying in the sky today are already benefiting from 3D printing technology. Start-ups and industry giants alike consider it to be humanity's best tool for making great leaps forward in the air and space.
NASA and Relativity Space: 3D Printed Rocket Engines
The engine has the longest developmental lead time out of all the other parts needed to create a space rocket. Production is a cumbersome and risky process because of the intricate design requirements and the need for precision in every component. Parts must be able to withstand cryogenic to 6,000 °F temperatures at extremely high pressures, so material selection is just as important as the design itself.
Additive manufacturing addresses these challenges for private companies like Relativity Space, which launched its fully 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, in March 2023. NASA lent a helping hand by providing Relativity Space with access to its latest high-performance copper-chromium-niobium alloy, which, when used in the additive manufacturing process, can turn a 200-piece assembly job into a two-piece one.
The final product is just as strong and durable as traditionally manufactured parts but with two to 10 times faster turnarounds and substantial cost savings.
GE Aviation: 3D Printed Fuel Nozzles
GE Aviation has made significant strides in the application of 3D printing technology for jet engine components. The company’s journey with additive manufacturing began in 2015 at its Auburn, Alabama facility, which became the first mass manufacturing site to use AM technology for aircraft engine parts. This groundbreaking initiative has since focused on fuel nozzles for jet engines.
In 2021, GE Aviation officially shipped its 100,000th 3D-printed jet engine fuel nozzle out of the same Auburn location that first introduced additive manufacturing six years earlier.
By successfully mass-producing critical components, GE Aviation has shown that 3D printing can meet the high standards and demanding requirements of engine production. Even better, its success suggests potential room to venture beyond the status quo of performance.
CFM LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines benefit from the complex, yet necessarily dense fuel nozzles additive manufacturing makes possible. Its innovative design features give the CFM LEAP 15% better fuel efficiency than earlier jet engines.
GA-ASI: Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
While use cases like rocket production are sure to go far, there is a lot more potential for additive manufacturing in the aerospace sector. A bit closer to the ground, engineers see promise in drone design.
GA-ASI, a market-leading producer of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), has been using 3D printing for quite some time. To date, over 240 parts on its latest UAS are made through additive manufacturing. The company hopes to have 30 to 80 percent of parts in its small UAS vehicles created that way within the coming years.
Final Thoughts
It is easy to understand why considering the massive efficiency payoffs additive manufacturing has delivered them so far. From reducing weight and enhancing fuel efficiency to creating intricate components that were previously impossible to manufacture, 3D printing is revolutionizing aerospace engineering. Projects by large companies only represent a fraction of what is being conceived with this technology today. The sky is no longer the limit for aerospace innovation.