The first flight of an aircraft containing a 3D printed structural component, made from recycled titanium, has taken place at a UK military flight testing base.
The part - a bracket made from titanium recovered from a decommissioned aircraft - forms part of an Air Data Boom attached to an A109S helicopter owned by global defence and security company QinetiQ. It was printed by metal additive manufacturing (AM) specialist Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited (AMS) using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF).
The flight, which was conducted by QinetiQ’s Flight Test Organisation at MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, is thought to be a world first.
Simon Galt, Managing Director Air, QinetiQ, said: “Our testing and engineering expertise is helping to prove the technology which will reduce the UK’s dependency on other nations for aerospace grade titanium. Not only are we helping to strengthen UK supply chains, we are also leading the rest of the world in the very latest 3D printing technology.”
The maiden flight underscores the potential for UK to reduce its dependency on imported titanium, particularly for defence applications. Currently, China and Russia are the largest suppliers of aerospace grade titanium globally, but AMS believes the UK could become self-sufficient by repurposing titanium held in scrap aircraft and turning into feedstock for AM.
Rob Higham, AMS Director & CEO, commented: "AMS has tirelessly built momentum and expertise within the additive powder market, with a sharp focus on providing recycled feedstocks. This milestone reflects the dedication of our team and QinetiQ’s commitment to a more resilient and sustainable future."
The recycled powder is said to match the required quality for the printing of new products, and achieves 97% efficiency while using 93.5% less CO2e. The test builds on an Innovate UK-funded project led by AMS in 2023 looking at the feasibility of using recycled metallic materials in AM to build a high value circular economy for the aerospace supply chain. The same year, the company began working with the UK’s Ministry of Defence Defence Equipment & Support to explore the technical feasibility of recovering critical materials from surplus defence assets.
