3D printed parts are making their way into aircraft cabins
With potential savings for time and parts’ weight, 3D printing is becoming more common in the industry
By David Reid
More and more parts of an aircraft cabin will soon be 3-D printed, according to one firm working with airlines and plane makers.
Stratasys is a 3-D printing manufacturer that, among other industries, prints tools and parts for cars, planes and medical products.
In 2014, the U.S.-Israeli firm said that its production system had been used to make “more than 1,000 flight parts” for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft.
Speaking at the Paris Air Show, the President of EMEA at Stratasys, Andy Middleton, said more visible elements of a cabin interior will now be made from the heat gun of a printer.
“Passengers don’t realise that some of the air ducting is already 3D printed. They also don’t see the hidden cable harnesses which are 3D printed. But very soon the surround of their entertainment system will be 3-D printed,” Middleton said.
“And in the near future, parts of their seat will be 3D printed. The armrest, and the table on which we have our delicious lunch are both predestined to be printed.”