GKN Aerospace
GKN Aerospace is ramping up its use of Interspectral’s AM Explorer software to scale its metal additive manufacturing capabilities for efficiency and sustainability.
The aerospace manufacturer has adopted the technology inside its Centre of Excellence in Trollhättan, Sweden to improve quality assurance and process monitoring, while reducing costs, lead times and emissions.
Swedish Interspectral’s AM Explorer provides 3D visualisation and AI-driven analysis for metal AM and is thought to align well with GKN Aerospace’s goals to reduce emissions and optimise resources, per a press release. GKN Aerospace has been using the software since early 2024 and the two are now said to be working together to develop new AI-powered anomaly detection functionality optimised for its specific materials, applications and large-format printers.
Martin Thordén, GKN Aerospace, “Currently, aircraft engine components rely on large castings and forgings, with up to 80% of the material machined away before reaching the final form. By employing additive technology, which involves layer-by-layer construction using metal wire or powder fused together with lasers, GKN Aerospace can minimise raw material waste, energy within production. This significantly cuts emissions, costs and lead time.”
Thomas Rydell, Product Development at Interspectral, stated, “We’re proud to support GKN Aerospace on their journey to industrialise additive manufacturing and contribute to a more sustainable aviation industry. Through close collaboration with the team in Trollhättan, we’re tackling real-world industry challenges—driving greater efficiency, automation, and cost savings.”
The software is being deployed alongside GKN Aerospace’s fleet of 12-laser Nikon SLM NXG XII 600 metal machines. AM Explorer is said to have undergone deep integration with these systems to provide monitoring and analysis, and uses an AI model specifically trained on high-resolution NXG images, enabling defect detection and process insights.
