Additive manufacturing service providerMaterialisehas been qualified to produce flight-ready polymer components for aerospace company空中客车使用SLS 3D打印技术。
Specifically, Materialise will now begin 3D printing parts made ofEOS’flame-retardant polyamide (PA) powder, PA 2241 FR. The qualification marks Airbus’ very first entry into SLS 3D printing, with Materialise and EOS having become the first companies approved to 3D print parts under Airbus Process Specification AIPS 03-07-022.
由于资格在空中客车公司的整个全球业务中都是有效的，因此公司其他部门开发的产品也将能够利用3D打印材料。
Bart Van der Schueren, CTO of Materialise, states, “This achievement consolidates our long-term partnership with Airbus, and it also opens up additional 3D printing applications to Airbus and its suppliers. Laser sintering is one of the most widely used 3D printing technologies and enables complex design features such as interlocking mechanisms. It’s an honor for Materialise to be Airbus’s first manufacturer for the technology.”
EOSPA 2241 FR
EOS’ PA12-based powder is characterized by its flame-retardant properties. The material offers a very high refresh rate, making it a cost-effective method of 3D printing flight-ready parts with strict fire standards. PA 2241 FR parts can meet several fire, smoke, and toxicity requirements without needing a coat or primer, with typical aerospace use-cases such as internal air ducts and brackets.
In addition to the use of the material itself, the qualification also includes the 3D printing process, which was developed for EOS systems like theP 770 polymer 3D printer. With Airbus having previously qualified Ultem 9085 for the FDM process, Materialise now supplies the firm with two flight-ready 3D printing technologies.
马库斯·格拉瑟, Senior Vice President EMEA at EOS, adds, “We are very proud that after an extensive testing program, Airbus qualified the EOS PA 2241 FR material and processes for usage globally by the company. It underlines the high maturity and constant quality of EOS’ powder and systems and continues to emphasize the relevance of industrial 3D printing in both polymers and metals.”
Polymer 3D printing in aerospace
Additive manufacturing in the aerospace sector is typically limited to high-strength, high-temperature metals, so milestones like the PA 2241 FR qualification mark a major step forward for polymer 3D printing.
Mitalize几年前首次为空客创建了3D打印零件，当时FDM Technology在A350飞机上首次亮相。就目前而言，A350的物质印刷品大约有100个不同的飞行准备就绪组件，导致整个A350车队的年度总计26,000个零件。
With the recent qualification, the company is now gearing up to 3D print end-use parts for other Airbus aircraft too (such as the A320, A330, and A340), except now it also has EOS’ industrial SLS technology in its arsenal.
Also employing polymer 3D printing, aerospace manufacturerBoeinghas previously qualified 3D printer OEMStratasys’ Antero 800NA thermoplastic filament用于飞行的零件。基于PEKK的聚合物以其高强度，耐热性和耐化学性为特征，现在可以用于3D打印端，使用波音飞机上的组件。
Elsewhere, composite materials companyHexcelhas launched its own electrically-conductive polymer-based carbon fiber专为飞机3D打印的复合材料. HexPEKK EM has been purpose-built to meet the static electricity management, electromagnetic (EM) shielding, and radiation absorption needs of flight-ready components.
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Featured image shows a Materialise 3D printing facility equipped with EOS systems. Photo via Materialise.
