Zurich-based 3D printer manufacturer 9T Labs AG has announced a new collaboration to investigate and test the potential of leveraging its Additive Fusion Technology (AFT) for mass production of structural aerospace composite applications.
This innovative hybrid technology, which combines rapid batch molding compound (BMC) overmolding with high-resolution additive manufacturing, enables automated production and provides a cost-competitive alternative to the traditional production of aluminum aerospace parts Program. For 9T Labs, this is also the first time they have established such a partnership with Purdue University, one of the top engineering universities in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Yannick Willemin, Director of Marketing and Business Development at 9T Labs, said: "Traditional composites manufacturing is expensive, wasteful and has limited geometric freedom, especially for small size applications. We are defining a new composite manufacturing standard that enables We are able to produce structural composite parts as easily as metal parts. Our new partnership with Purdue University is a great step towards making this technology more widely available and ubiquitous in the next 12-18 months A meaningful step."
△ Composite parts
Additive Fusion Technology at 9T Labs
Proper fiber placement and excellent consolidation are the keys to producing lightweight structural parts. By first using building blocks to create fiber layers, Additive Fusion Technology (AFT) is able to automatically manufacture the best part designs obtained from Fibrify software.
Only when the fusion module applies heat and pressure to the prepared parts to fuse them together does the resulting preform have the consolidating qualities required for structural composite parts. This unique two-stage technology guarantees part quality, repeatability, and cost-effectiveness for production applications.
Users can quickly define fiber designs with the Fibrify Design Suite. By immediately exporting composite parts to commercial finite element simulation software for structural proficiency verification, users can fully optimize them. Users can also manage, operate and monitor their equipment in real-time through Fibrify Production.
The application of additive manufacturing in aerospace
Aerospace is a demanding real-world application for any technology, yet additive manufacturing is rising to the challenge.
For example, the well-known 3D printer company EOS has worked with engineering design software specialist Hyperganic to improve the appearance and function of 3D printed aerospace parts. As part of the collaboration, the two businesses aim to combine Hyperganic Core, an artificial intelligence-based algorithmic engineering software, with EOS's laser powder bed fusion 3D printer. With the advent of this software, EOS customers can completely eliminate traditional component design procedures while utilizing algorithmic models when designing their space propulsion components. This change is expected to greatly simplify the design workflow, enabling higher-performing part geometries to be calculated in minutes.
Elsewhere, 3D printer maker Stratasys and Avio Aero, part of GE's aerospace business, have announced initiatives that could lead to the deployment of their respective technologies in new aerospace applications. With the release of data on the qualification of the Antero 840CN03 polymer for use on the Orion spacecraft, Stratasys intends to encourage the development of a model to apply the material to a similar situation. Airbus, on the other hand, has chosen Avio Aero's Catalyst engines to power its "Eurodrone", an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to perform surveillance missions in Europe.
△Eurodrone drone
Previously, the 3D printing industry team interviewed experts from well-known 3D printing factories. As industrial additive manufacturing grows, manufacturers, service providers, and engineering firms are investing in venues that incorporate various 3D printing technologies. Facilities such as the Jabil 3D Printing Center of Excellence have been built for end-to-end scale production of medical devices for the healthcare and dental industries. The Emerging Technology Center in Athens, Alabama, and similar other facilities in the U.S. recently were created to support industries such as aerospace, energy, and more through additive manufacturing. Lawrence-Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) also opened an Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (AML) in California to accelerate research using additive manufacturing techniques.
It is believed that in the near future, additive manufacturing technology will be widely used in all walks of life.