Stratasys F900 at BAE Systems
BAE Systems’ fourth Stratasys F900 3D Printer will serve as an integral aspect of the company’sFactory of the Future initiative, running around the clock.
BAE Systems has installed a fourth Stratasys F900 fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printer as it looks to increase its application of additive manufacturing.
The machine will be housed in the aerospace and defence company’s new smart factory in the UK, which was announced earlier this week with 'radical changes' in the way it designs and builds aircraft set to be implemented. BAE is targeting the additive manufacture of 30% of components for its Tempest aircraft, up from 1% of the parts on its Typhoon fighter jet, in a bid to increase production speed and reduce production costs.
While there has been no confirmation which components on the Tempest aircraft BAE will look to produce with 3D printing, the company has revealed Stratasys FDM technology is currently being deployed to produce prototypes, manufacturing tools, ground equipment and some end-use parts. Stratasys’ FDM Nylon 12CF material has been highlighted as a product that has enabled BAE to produce robust and lightweight repair and development tools on production lines, while durable ABS and ASA materials have been harnessed for aircraft ground equipment like the cockpit floor cover for the Typhoon fighter jet. This part is said to be lighter and easier to carry than its traditionally made counterpart, quicker to manufacture, and able to be printed with red filament – red being the colour of all ‘remove before flight’ components.
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BAE has been using Stratasys equipment since 2016 and last year struck a deal with the 3D printing vendor that would give it early access to new 3D printing processes, machines and materials. The company is said to have further stepped up its commitment to additive manufacturing technology in recent weeks, putting existing suppliers on notice, according to a Financial Times report, as it looks to put half the Tempest aircraft together with robots and manufacture a third of components with 3D printing technology.
BAE Stratasys
Greg Flanagan, pictured with a 3D printed Typhoon cockpit floor cover produced in Stratasys ABS material on the F900 machine.
“Our Factory of the Future programme is all about driving the future of fighter aircraft production with disruptive technologies and we’re working closely with our suppliers and wider industry to meet the challenges the UK Government has set out to us,” commented Greg Flanagan, Additive Manufacturing Operations Lead at BAE Systems Air. “Stratasys FDM additive manufacturing plays an important role in this initiative, as it helps us meet our overall company objectives to reduce costs and time-to-market.
“This technology allows us to innovate many of our traditional manufacturing processes. We can rapidly 3D print one-off parts for new products, replace tools more easily and cost-effectively, and maintain production operations when hardware is delayed. If supply chains become disrupted, having this production power in-house also enables us to be more agile as a business and continue to best serve the needs of our customers.”
“BAE System’s Factory of the Future programme is a prime example of innovative companies seeking to exploit the latest advanced manufacturing technologies and processes to enhance traditional production as we know it,” added Yann Rageul, Director Manufacturing Solutions EMEA at Stratasys. “We continue to collaborate closely with the team at BAE to explore new solutions that further expand the application use of additive manufacturing within production, which will help to address and solve the company’s current and future manufacturing challenges.”
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