Materialise NV (a Belgium-based company specialising in 3-D printing solutions and services), Proponent (a large and independent aerospace distributor), and
Stirling Dynamics (an EASA 21.J-certified Aerospace Design Organisation) have signed of a letter of intent (LoI) aimed at providing ‘certified cabin solutions for aircraft’.
This LoI strengthens an existing partnership between Materialise and Proponent that was formed in 2021, and the companies say that by combining their forces they can support the aerospace aftermarket with the design, production, and distribution of certified 3D-printed cabin solutions. With its aerospace-approved Design Organisation Approval (DOA), Stirling Dynamics develops improved, certified designs for 3D-printed interior cabin parts and provides complete aircraft documentation and installation instructions; by adding an EASA Part 21.J DOA to the partnership, the companies bring together the ability to identify AM applications and design them by a certified DOA, with certified production by Materialise and distribution through Proponent.
Bandula Pathinayake, Stirling Dynamics’ vice president, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Materialise and Proponent to collectively bring the aviation market a true end-to-end service for aircraft modification and repairs. As an EASA-approved Part 21.J Design Organisation (EASA.21J.807), we are passionate about innovation, and we look forward to applying our extensive design capabilities to meet the challenges of aviation customers.”
Materialise, Proponent, and Stirling Dynamics say their aim is to accelerate the adoption of 3-D printing for cabin parts; and that through the identification and design of ‘smart 3D-printed solutions’ for OEMs, airlines, and MROs, they ‘seek to give airline customers the possibility to easily leverage the unique manufacturing benefits that 3-D printing offers’.
Several cabin repair solutions have already been successfully developed by Stirling Dynamics and Materialise, solutions that solve specific issues the customers face in their cabins. Erik Krol, Proponent’s vice president (strategic business units), added: “With Stirling Dynamics joining our partnership, we can offer our OEM partners qualified solutions that can easily be incorporated into their aftermarket supply chain. Through this partnership, OEMs can deliver spare parts and repairs in an extremely cost-effective way, ultimately benefiting the airlines and MROs.”