This year's Paris Air Show (15th to 21st June, Le Bourget Exhibition Centre, France) will see leading additive manufacturing and 3D printing provider, Stratasys Ltd., demonstrate how its technology helps aerospace companies increase supply chain efficiency, produce lighter weight flight parts and improve buy-to-fly ratios.
Recent Stratasys customer announcements highlight the growing impact of the company's market-leading solutions for aerospace design, testing, tooling and part production: United Launch Alliance (ULA) saves $1m a year by 3D printing durable flight-ready rocket components from ULTEM 9085, a high performance thermoplastic (International Business Times, April 17, 2015), while Airbus' use of over 1000 FDM 3D printed flight parts for its A350 XWB program (Stratasys blog, May 6, 2015) enabled the company to increase supply chain flexibility and meet delivery commitments on-time.
Stratasys (Hall 3, Stand E30) will use the Paris Air Show to demonstrate how its 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies respond directly to the specific requirements of these and other aerospace manufacturers and suppliers. This includes the ability to produce lighter parts with enhanced functionality using high-performance FST-certified and FAA-approved thermoplastic materials, as well as the fast, economic creation of full design prototypes, ergonomic jigs & fixtures and injection molds.
Visitors are invited to explore the latest 3D printing advancements and solutions for aerospace in a two-day series of informative Stratasys speaking sessions:
- Frederick Claus, Business Development Manager, Aerospace and Defense, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, will discuss Qualification of Additive Manufactured Flight Rated Components for Military and Commercial Aerospace Applications on Monday 15th at 3:30pm in the Conference Room, Hall 2C. This session will explain how Stratasys' additive manufacturing technologies support customers and partners by providing traceable, certified material and part qualifications to unique specifications - thereby upholding the high confidence required of flight hardware.
- Alissa Wild, Senior Additive Manufacturing Research Engineer for the Vertical Solutions Business Unit at Stratasys, will be speaking live about the latest advancements in FDM 3D printing materials on Monday 15th at 4:45pm in the Conference Room, Hall 2C. This presentation will explain how use of FDM 3D printing materials can shorten lead times, cut production costs and minimize waste. Attendees will learn how such benefits can be achieved by 3D printing manufacturing tools that support product assemblies, such as jigs and fixtures, as well as the production of mold cavities for low-volume production of final end-use parts.
- Scott Sevcik, Aerospace and Defense Business Development Manager, Vertical Solutions at Stratasys, will present Additive Manufacturing Impact in Aerospace on Tuesday 16th at 3:30pm in the Conference Room, Hall 2C. Attendees will hear how use of additive manufacturing by Stratasys aerospace customers can lead to significant cost savings, improved supply chain efficiencies, better fly-to-buy ratios and less waste.
- Concluding the speaker line-up is Tim Schniepp, Senior Additive Manufacturing Research Engineer for the Vertical Solutions Business Unit at Stratasys, who will discuss Additive Manufacturing of Composite Tooling using FDM 3D printing technology on Tuesday 16th at 4:45pm in the Conference Room, Hall 2C. Visitors will learn about the time efficiencies and cost savings involved when integrating Stratasys FDM 3D printing technology within the composite tooling process.
"Aerospace companies are leveraging additive manufacturing solutions to enhance buy-to-fly ratios and simplify the manufacture and assembly of complex part geometries. This simplifies customers' structured bills of material on aircraft and leads to increased supply chain efficiencies and reduced overhead costs associated with maintaining and executing contracts for each part. Our additive manufacturing solutions produce complex parts on-demand, ensuring on-time delivery at the point of use. We encourage interested aerospace customers to visit the Stratasys booth during the show to speak with a Vertical Solutions technical expert," said Andy Storm, General Manager of Aerospace, Automotive, & Defense Vertical Solutions.