Over the last decade, aerospace innovators have pushed 3D printing beyond the realm of prototyping into advanced tooling and production applications. We have partnered with industry leaders to develop materials and processes that are making 3D printed parts commonplace on aircraft and spacecraft — and cementing the technology as an engineering mainstay.
Stratasys FDM Technology utilises production-grade thermoplastics to build strong, durable and dimensionally stable parts, which have the best accuracy and repeatability of any 3D printing technology. This technology is suitable for applications such as:
- Concept Modeling
- Prototyping
- Manufacturing Aids
- Production Parts
FDM uses the same tried and tested thermoplastics found in traditional manufacturing processes.
The most commonly Thermoplastics used at AFS include:
- ABS-M30 (ABS-M30 datasheet) is ideal for concept models and moderate requirement parts including functional prototypes, jigs, fixtures, manufacturing aids.
- ULTEM 9085 (ULTEM9085 datasheet) features a high strength-to-weight ratio, high thermal and chemical resistance, and flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) ratings. This material is ideally suited to production parts for aircraft interiors.
- ULTEM 1010 (ULTEM1010 datasheet) is the strongest FDM thermoplastic. Possessing high heat resistance and thermal stability, it’s able to withstand autoclave operations associated with composite fabrication tooling.
AM Insights
Article from Stratasys: Additive Manufacturing Trends in Aerospace
