Belgium-based Materialise NV (www.materialise.com) — a provider of additive-manufacturing software and ‘3-D printing’ solutions for the medical and industrial markets — has announced its expansion into the aerospace industry. Having gained the EN9100 and EASA 21G certifications, it can now deliver flight-ready parts to reduce the weight and operating costs of aircraft.

Materialise director Jurgen Laudus said: “We have enjoyed a long collaboration with the aerospace industry as providers of high-quality prototypes, production tools and cutting-edge software.

"We also recognise the growing demand for the manufacture of end-use parts that are ready to take to the skies. By obtaining these certifications, we are ready to fulfil this demand by additively manufacturing functional parts for partners throughout the sector in order to improve the overall performance of their aircraft.”

Materialise says that by certifying their advanced and mature additive-manufacturing production facilities around the world, they can meet the demands of partners throughout the aerospace sector; and while these certifications currently apply to the manufacture of plastic parts, Materialise plans to certify additional materials in the near future.