Airbus and Arconic install first metal AM part on series production commercial aircraft

September 21, 2017

News
September 21, 2017
Airbus and Arconic install first metal 3D printed part on series production commercial aircraft

 

Airbus and Arconic Inc. have installed a metal additively manufactured titanium bracket on a series production aircraft. The bracket, which is being produced at Arconic’s Additive Manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, USA, is installed on the Airbus A350 XWB, the company’s newest widebody commercial aircraft.

While airplane makers have been using Additive Manufacturing for some time, until recently this has primarily been for components inside the cabin. Equipping the airframes themselves with metal AM parts is a newer field.

In addition, the bracket’s installation on a series production commercial airplane, as opposed to a test airplane, marks a significant step forward in the qualification of more complex metal AM parts for production aircraft. While metal additively manufactured cabin brackets and bleed pipes are already flying on Airbus’s A320neo and A350 XWB test aircraft, this reportedly marks the first installation of a titanium additively manufactured bracket on a commercial aircraft for series production.

Jeremy Halford, President of Arconic Titanium and Engineered Products, commented, “Arconic is proud to partner with Airbus to advance aerospace Additive Manufacturing. Our comprehensive capabilities, from materials science leadership to qualification expertise, helped make this achievement possible. We look forward to continuing to advance the art of the possible in additive for aerospace.”

This AM titanium bracket is the latest product of Airbus and Arconic’s ongoing partnership, which was founded in December 2016 with the signing of three agreements for Arconic to produce titanium and nickel additively manufactured parts for commercial aircraft, including the A320 platform and A350 XWB.

www.arconic.com

www.airbus.com

News
September 21, 2017

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • LEAP 71: Why engineering must move beyond CAD to realise the promise of AI and Additive Manufacturing
  • Additive Manufacturing and European defence: a critical opportunity as the US and China accelerate ahead
  • A market analyst’s view: Europe’s opportunity as defence AM surges in the US and China
  • From Fixed Processes to flight parts: How REM’s advanced surface finishing supports NASA JPL’s AM innovations
  • The future of large metal parts: WAAMathon #2 showcases developments in Wire Arc Directed Energy Deposition
  • Wire Electron Beam Directed Energy Deposition (DED): Advancing productivity and sustainability in metal AM
  • Building trust in AM: How Qualified AM GmbH is enabling regulated production at scale

TRUSTED CONTENT. TARGETED AUDIENCE

Advertise with Metal AM and access a global base of 50,000+ AM professionals.

Contact Jon Craxford: [email protected]

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap