Auxiliary Power Unit Generator Housings. Left: Current plastic prototype design for CNC machining, Right: First generation pilot part optimised for AM.
Safran Electrical & Power, a company which designs and produces electrical systems for commercial and military aircraft, is working with UK-based additive manufacturing specialist Betatype to produce complex AM structures for aircraft power generation.
Initially, the Power Division 3D printing team were looking for ways to improve the design of an electrical generator housing. In an effort to reduce part count and overall manufacturing time, Betatype developed a proof of concept focusing on improved strength, increased stiffness and a reduction in overall weight using a high-density lattice as part of a sandwich structure with over 10 million elements.
Betatype CEO, Sarat Babu explained, “We knew creating a more complex, higher density lattice structure was the key to achieving what Safran was looking for in the part. Applying our technology and multi-scale approach, we were able to control the scan path and exposure settings down to each element of the sandwich structure’s design. By pushing laser powder bed fusion well beyond its standard processes, we created the ultra-high density lattice structure required.”
Second generation auxiliary power unit generator housing pilot part
The result was a unified single part design down from several machined components and dramatically reduced manufacturing times. After a successful first iteration, the two companies are now continuing to evolve the project with further reductions in weight, material usage and production time.
The most recent design achieved a 30% reduction in weight and a further 30% reduction in build times due to scan path optimisation and precise process control afforded by Betatype’s specialised, scalable Process Control software. This latest iteration also saw a switch from the sandwich panel to external ribbing which reduced the profile volume while maintaining the required stiffness. This also enabled the parts to be produced in Aluminium, rather than Titanium.
