Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd, has been chosen by Airbus to produce 3-D printed polymer parts for use on A350 XWB aircraft.
The company will print non-structural parts, such as brackets and other components used for system installation, on Stratasys FDM (fused deposition modelling) production 3-D printers using the material ULTEM 9085.
According to Stratasys, the project will help Airbus to achieve greater supply-chain flexibility and improve its cost-competitiveness, while reducing material consumption and waste.
Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s 3-D printing capacity and infrastructure allow the printing and shipping of parts on demand to Airbus, giving shorter turn-round times and lower inventory costs.
Stratasys and Airbus have been working together on the implementation of 3-D printing FDM technology for tools and flying parts since 2013.
This collaboration led to the qualification in 2014 of ULTEM 9085 material for the production of flying parts on Airbus aircraft. Since 2015, Airbus has installed thousands of FDM components.