Additive manufacturing in aerospace: Opportunities and Challenges

3D printing technology, more commonly known as additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry, holds tremendous promise. It can reduce waste of expensive materials, lower emissions through lightweight designs that are now possible to manufacture, and resolve supply chain issues for critical parts that are not supported through serial production. However, with safety being of paramount importance, the industry recognizes that a full understanding of the hidden characteristics of 3D-printed parts, such as material properties and defect profiles, is essential to meeting certification requirements for flying.

In this talk, we will explore some success stories in the industry, including both powder bed fusion (PBF) technology and directed energy deposition (DED) techniques. We will also discuss how the aerospace industry is addressing challenges through organizational set-up and technical knowledge building.