3-D printers help China jet development take off
Use of 3-D printing means China's aviation industry is saving money and materials and could soon rival manufacturers in the US
Creating a miniature plastic aeroplane using a household computer and a 3-D printer is no longer just a dream for aircraft enthusiasts. But what about printing out a real plane?
And they're now starting to print out aircraft components from a 3-D printer without the help of traditional manufacturing processes such as casting, forging and assembling.
These can even include key structures such as landing gear, which has to be able to withstand extreme forces.
3-D printing, also known as laser rapid forming, is an emerging manufacturing technology in which blueprints made on computers can be turned into actual products by printers that add layer after layer of material until the finished shape is achieved.
It's not clear how many materials Chinese scientists can use when printing out aircraft parts, but Stratasys, the world's leading manufacturer of 3-D printers, says its machines can combine more than 100 different materials to form 3-D products, including wood, plastics and metals. Reports on the mainland have said 3-D printing technology has been used by China's aviation industry.