Materialise has been qualified by Airbus to manufacture flight-ready parts using EOS’s laser sintering technology.
Materialise has announced a first in its ongoing additive manufacturing partnership with Airbus.
Together with fellow 3D printing leader EOS, the companies has been qualified by the aerospace giant to manufacture flight-ready parts using EOS’s laser sintering technology, specifically the EOS P 770, and a flame-retardant polyamide (PA 2241 FR) powder. The announcement means the duo are the first suppliers to be qualified by Airbus to produce laser sintered parts under its Airbus Process Specification AIPS 03-07-022.
According to a press release, Materialise says the newly qualified EOS PA 2241 FR material provides Airbus and its suppliers with a cost-effective complement to the initially validated and widely used Ultem 9085 for the manufacture of aircraft interior parts such as air ducts and brackets, including those with strict fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) requirements, without use of a primer and top coating. The material offers a high refresh rate and meets the stringent quality standards required of flight-ready parts.
Bart Van der Schueren, Materialise CTO, commented: “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 honour for Materialise to be Airbus’s first manufacturer for the technology.”
Sample part 3D printed using EOS PA 2241 FR.
Materialise already produces around 100 different part numbers for the Airbus A350 using FDM technology which is said to amount to an estimated 26,000 parts per year. In one particular application example, Airbus has worked in partnership with Materialise to 3D print a spacer panel which fills an end-gap in a row of overhead storage compartments for installation on board Finnair’s A320. The part was optimised to achieve a 15% weight reduction and painted using flame-retardant Airbus-approved materials. Materialise says it has plans to supply parts for other Airbus aircraft including the A320, A330, and A340 and says EOS’ technology will play “will play a key role.”
Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President EMEA, EOS, says: “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 emphasise the relevance of industrial 3D printing in both polymers and metals.”
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