Titomic’s TKF technology to be used on metal parts for Airbus
April 9, 2020
Titomic Ltd, Melbourne, Australia, has entered into an agreement with Airbus in which Titomic’s patented Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) Additive Manufacturing technology will be used to demonstrate high-performance metal parts for the European aircraft manufacturer. Airbus installed its first Additive Manufacturing machine in 2012, with the first additively manufactured metal part, a titanium bracket, used in a commercial jetliner in 2014. Currently, more than 1,000 additively manufactured parts are reportedly used in Airbus aircraft.
According to Titomic, the delivery of these demonstrator parts to Airbus, and its subsequent technology review process of TKF aerospace parts, is further validation of the extensive certification that is being undertaken by the company’s co-funded Australian Government’s IMCRC project with partners CSIRO and RMIT. The company explains that it has invested heavily in developing additive manufacturing to progress towards a well-defined design, material and process qualification system as required by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Jeff Lang, Titomic CEO, stated, “We are pleased to partner with Airbus for this initial aerospace part made with Titomic Kinetic Fusion, the world’s largest and fastest industrial-scale metal Additive Manufacturing process. The TKF process is ideally suited to produce near-net shape metal parts for the aerospace industry using our patented process of fusing dissimilar metals that cannot be produced with either traditional fabrication methods or metal-based 3D printers.”
Lang added, “3D printing, of which TFK is the leading technology, has the potential to be a game changer post the global COVID-19 pandemic supply chain disruption as aircraft manufacturers look to reduce production costs, increase performance, improve supply chain flexibility and reduce inventory costs, and TKF, co-developed with the CSIRO, can be an integral part of this change. Regulations force aerospace manufacturers to provide spare parts for long periods after the sale of an aircraft, so it’s not rocket science to assume they will be early adopters of 3D printing solutions for spare-part management.”
