Airbus is additively manufacturing more than 25,000 flight-ready parts with Stratasys technology annually, according to the 3D printing vendor.
The company says there are more than 200,000 certified Stratasys polymer parts in active service on Airbus aircraft.
According to Stratasys, recent data suggests that the use of 3D printed parts on the Airbus A350 aircraft has resulted in a 43% weight reduction, the elimination of the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) requirement, and a 85% reduction in lead time. In addition to the A350, Airbus has printed parts for A320 and A400M models using the Stratasys ULTEM 9085 filament Certified Grade (CG) material on multiple Stratasys FDM printers.
“Stratasys’ additive manufacturing technology is an integral part of our commitment to safe and sustainable aviation,” said Serge Senac, Airbus Industrial Leader for Polymer Additive Manufacturing. “We can produce certified, repeatable parts faster, with less reliance on complex supply chains. This manufacturing flexibility reduces costs and ensures improved response times to meet the needs of our customers around the world. Last but not least, this technology contributes to Airbus’ roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”
Working with the likes of Stratasys, Airbus is understood to have established a distributed manufacturing capability that is allowing the company to produce parts where and when they are needed. This is said to have helped reduce aircraft downtime, minimise inventory storage, and avoid costly supply chain delays.
“Our collaboration with Airbus is proof that additive manufacturing is being integrated into true production at scale, and can be a huge differentiator,” added Rich Garrity, Chief Business Unit Officer, Stratasys. “With tens of thousands of certified parts already flying, we are seeing an inflection point, not just for Airbus, but for the entire aerospace industry. Demand for lighter, faster, and more resilient supply chains is accelerating, adoption of Stratasys technology worldwide. What Airbus is achieving today signals the next growth chapter for our industry: certified additive manufacturing as a mainstream production method across aviation globally.”
