Additive manufacturing (AM) is an umbrella term that covers a range of processes designed to build up components layer by layer from powdered materials. The technology was initially used by the industry to rapidly produce prototype parts, but it is increasingly being applied to build in-flight production components for aircraft.
Most people are now generally aware of the possibilities presented by AM. The last few years have seen the technology gain greater mainstream awareness and most manufacturing industries are adopting AM techniques.
Aerospace is no exception, with AM creating waves in the manufacturing process and supply chain.
AM offers aerospace manufacturers several significant benefits compared with traditional production methods. Unlike subtractive manufacturing, there are no wasted materials or tool set-up times.
It presents cost-saving and weight reduction opportunities by drastically improving the buy-to-fly ratio (the relationship between the mass of the raw material used to produce a component and the eventual mass of the finished product).
Lighter components are now available through AM. This leads to lighter aircraft, helping in the ongoing drive to meet emission reduction targets such as those set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe (ACARE).
Furthermore, AM techniques allow extra technology, such as sensors, to be embedded into components, giving designers a range of new configuration possibilities. The process also reduces production delays caused by long-lead times for components that were traditionally cast or forged.
Aerospace companies are using AM to rethink their supply chains to improve performance in the following ways:
Reduce material inputs for leaner manufacturing
Simplify production processes, reducing costs
Lower risk by providing a contingency plan
Improve process flexibility, reacting faster to demand
Redesign supply chain networks into decentralized, distributed production networks
Reduce the capital cost of entry into new markets
The ATI was created in 2013 to define the UK’s aerospace technology strategy. It is backed by a joint government-industry commitment to investing £3.9 billion in aerospace research and development by 2026. The ATI has been working to determine how to apply the AM technique for safety-critical components. A collaborative research program (TIPOW) was created to develop titanium powder for net-shaped aerospace component manufacture.
The major aircraft manufacturers have been developing AM capability internally or through strategic acquisition, and many companies in the aerospace supply chain are investing heavily in the technology, although they are somewhat held back by their need for certification by prime contractor cooperatives, such as Nadcap.
The key standards for additive manufacturing currently are as follows:
BS ISO 17296-2:2015 - describes the process fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing (AM). It also gives an overview of existing process categories, which are not and cannot be exhaustive due to the development of new technologies.
BS EN ISO/ASTM 52915:2020 - this document provides the specification for the Additive Manufacturing File Format (AMF), an interchange format to address the current and future needs of additive manufacturing technology.
BS EN ISO/ASTM 52903-2:2020 - this document describes a method for defining requirements and assuring component integrity for plastic parts created using material extrusion-based additive manufacturing processes.
In terms of standards development and further research work in this arena, much is centered around materials specification and qualification for the emerging AM powder machine platforms, which themselves are growing to be able to produce larger components.
ASTM International maintains standards relevant to AM, especially those relating to machine and process classification. The industry is also agreeing on ways to standardize AM materials, with a lot of work around aluminum, titanium, and nickel alloys.
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Looking ahead, with the rise of digital manufacturing, standards that govern and reduce variability, especially in distributed manufacturing scenarios, are needed.
Variability reduction is an issue for AM and it is generally agreed that increased yields will help solve this challenge. Appropriate global standards would support the widespread production of replacement parts locally, again providing time and cost savings.
The potential for AM to transform the sector is exciting. Large near-net shape components which replace the need for forging are already here and will only continue to grow in size and scope. The efficiency gains described above are only the tip of the iceberg, and the aerospace supply chain may well look very different in five years. Regardless of where they begin, companies would be well advised to consider how the continuing evolution of AM capabilities stands to alter supply chains for themselves and those they compete against in serving their customers.
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