3D printing - Aerospace Applications.

[nomorecatering]

Just read on Avweb that a Chinese company has made the worlds first #D printed titanium part, quite a large piece apparently for a fighter they have under development. It states that using the traditional forging process it would have cost $1.3 million to make but with the 3D printing process it cost around $300,000.

is there a future for 3D printing in large scale industrial applications.

Will 3D printing supercede traditional forging

Can 3D printed parts be made as strong as traditional forging. They are talking of making wing spars with 3D printing.

Lastly, small GA aircraft are traditionally made using hand worked sheet metal with lots of labour involved to join pieces together with lots of fasteners(rivets) etc. Could 3D printing make GA type aircraft and others cheaper to manufacture?

[A4]

3D Printing is not new - it's been around for 20+ years, however it is now really starting to take off in the manufacturing and prototyping world. Have hunt on Y-O-Utube and there are some frankly amazing examples of what can be done. Printing of artificial bones/joints has huge implications in the medical field.

As development progresses these printers will be able to "print" with all sorts of materials with, theoretically, the ability to print circuit boards AND the components on them.

The two big players are 3D Systems Rapid Prototyping, Advance Digital Manufacturing, 3D Printing, 3-D CAD | www.3dsystems.com (http://www.3dsystems.com/) and Statasys Professional 3D Printing | Stratasys (http://www.stratasys.com/) - take a look at their share prices over the last 18 months!

Think how far smartphones have come in the last 5 years.....now apply the same development speed to this. Will 3D Printers be printing 3D Printers.......?

[friend007]

Hi,

I'm not an expert on the matter but this reminded me of a video I saw a few weeks ago of a completely printed (RC) aircraft:

3D printing: The world's first printed plane - tech - 27 July 2011 - New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20737-3d-printing-the-worlds-first-printed-plane.html#.Ub2GseenCSo)

While searching for this vid also found this:

3D-printed jet engine parts help increase fuel efficiency by 15 percent | The Verge (http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/15/4331520/3d-printed-jet-engine-parts-help-increase-fuel-efficiency-by-15)

So apparently there is a future for 3D printing...

Rgds

[barit1]

GE and some other companies are referring to 3D printing under another name - they're calling it "additive manufacturing".

And I'm not sure how they can achieve a wrought molecular structure (a la forging, or carbon tape layup) with 3D printing. But a LOT of development work is going on.

[18-Wheeler]

Will 3D Printers be printing 3D Printers.......?

I have a small 3D printer at home and pretty much all the plastic fittings on it are made on another one.

[A4]

Despite the technology being around for a longtime it's only now that development and enhancement is really starting to takeoff and I've no doubt it will ultimately mature to a point where structurally critical items can be manufactured.

The real benefit comes from not having to hold an inventory of 1000's of small components. For example, if an overhead locker handle gets broken, rather than having to check stock or order one in - just print a new one from a stored blueprint file....a small royalty fee to the original designer/manufacturer and bingo - job done!

Perhaps a simplistic view but in 10 years it wouldn't surprise me if this was the norm.

[Linktrained]

Some fifty years ago a new airline got, as an early bit of their equipment, something called a Xerox machine. It was put to good use, providing new staff with a lot of information - even how to work the coffee percolator !
We were able to use this machine and trusted to do so. For me this meant a fifty mile drive. After a bit it was possible to obtain COLOR copies from a place near Waterloo Station, even if rather expensively.

Now it is difficult to buy an inexpensive home printer WITHOUT the ability to make colour prints.

It's called progress.

C.H.Jackson of B.O.A.C. gave a R.Ae.S. Lecture in which he showed that Scientists expected progress in their field a certain rate. Technologists expected that to be twice as fast. Science Fiction was faster again. But Fact, what HAD been achieved was even faster.

Think of Communications, Computers, Space, Health, Nuclear, Transport...

How might a Transporter room,shrunk down ( to be called an "Imove" (?), because it is pocketable), alter everybodies Lives...?

And WHEN and WHERE can I get one ?