AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
Advanced flight platforms are placing pressure on aerospace companies to adopt rapid manufacturing technologies that accelerate the supply chain and encourage innovation at every level, including product development, inspection and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul). At the same time, there's a growing need to lower fuel costs and efficiently replace legacy parts for aging fleets.
Aerospace and defense customers leverage 3D Systems' industry-leading solutions and expertise to deliver unprecedented productivity in areas such as increasing speed and reliability of quality assurance and validation processes, lowering fuel costs through lightweighting and parts consolidation, and increasing manufacturing productivity through innovative 3D printed casting patterns, 3D data recovery, injection-mold design, and direct metal printing of airworthy parts.
eBook: How Metal Additive Printing new efficiency in Lightweight Parts
The Challenge
Produce Lighter-Weight Brackets for Telecommunications Satellite
Each bracket mounted on the antenna required a unique topologically optimized design for lower weight without sacrificing strength.
The Solution
Thales Alenia and 3D Systems Use DMP for Better Bracket
Direct-metal-printed brackets are 25-percent lighter, have a better stiffness-to-weight ratio, and can be manufactured in half the time it would take with a traditional process.
Emirates Uses SLS Printing For Better Fuel Economy and Supply Chain Efficiency
Flame retardant nylon material and 3D Systems SLS printing help airline lower weight of in-cabin parts for significant operational cost savings opportunity
The Challenge
Optimizing Parts and Assemblies to Revolutionize Space Exploration
Low-cost robotic space exploration requires throwing away the book on many traditional processes, starting with design and manufacturing.
The Solution
Planetary Resources Uses QuickCast to Achieve New Level of Design Freedom
Patented 3D Systems technologies deliver lighter-weight parts, quicker design iterations, and cost savings from consolidating assemblies into one casted part.
The Challenge
Reconnecting Design With As-Built for NASA's Apollo F-1 Rocket Engine
Although some blueprints of the original F-1 engine design exist, the basic drawings that were available revealed a disconnect between the original design and as-built results.
The Solution
ShapeFidelity Uses Geomagic Software to Accurately Reverse Engineer the F-1
An accurate 3D model of the F-1 engine can now be used for analysis, flow path definition, clearances, and re-creation and manufacturing of the original parts using new materials.
Vaupell Saves Time and Money on Investment Casting with 3D Systems
Antimony-free SLA QuickCast patterns dramatically reduce the time and cost of aerospace investment casting tools.
The Challenge
In the aerospace industry, the slightest design improvement can have a staggering impact on the efficiency of flight
Aerospace manufacturers dedicate tremendous time and talent to advanced engineering
The Solution
3D Systems’ On Demand Manufacturing team helped Metro Aerospace take the microvanes from a prototype into a production part with uncommon speed
Offering production support at any stage of product development, 3D Systems’ On Demand Manufacturing experts deliver quick, high quality parts ranging from fast turn and advanced prototypes to appearance models and low volume production
First Air-Worthy Metal 3D Printed RF Filter Ready for Take-Off
Airbus Defence and Space achieves 50% weight reduction and faster production times using 3D Systems’ Direct Metal Printing
Topology Optimization and Direct Metal 3D Printing (DMP) in GE Aircraft Engine Bracket Challenge
Optimized 3D metal printed bracket design delivers 70% reduction in weight, with a strong consolidated part and reduced time for production