Airframe Designs, a UK-based aerospace specialist, has completed a collaborative R&D project to advance the additive manufacturing of ultra-polymer aircraft cabin interior parts.
The aim of the project is to open-up opportunities for flight-worthy parts within the aircraft cabin environment and aircraft interiors market. If successful, the technology could also be adapted for other industries including military aerospace, space, defence, nuclear, rail and automotive.
The 18-month project, part-funded by NATEP (National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP), was led by Airframe Designs alongside the MIX14 flammability test house and AMS, a structural test house.
The project focus was to evaluate the use of soluble supports in combination with AM200, a new ultra-polymer material. AM200 is produced locally in the UK by Victrex, which says it is unique in its ability to be 3D-printed with soluble support.
The material was benchmarked against the popular aerospace polymer ULTEM 9085, and the project enabled Airframe Designs to develop robust processes for both material systems as the company heads towards being a UK CAA Part21G production organisation, approved to print commercial aviation flying parts.
NATEP is a £20million programme, funded by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade through the Aerospace Technology Institute and managed by Innovate UK, which has so far developed more than 80 different aerospace technologies across the UK supply chain.
Airframe Designs believes the project will help to underpin future high-growth and enhanced capability as part of its ambition to be the top polymer additive SME in the local aerospace and defence supply chain.
Jerrod Hartley, CEO of Airframe Designs, stated: “We’re proud to be at the cutting edge of a project such as this, using our engineering and advanced manufacturing excellence to be a leader in this kind of airworthy parts production.
“We are using water-soluble support in the 3D-printing process with faster manufacturing and less potential for damage than current manual methods, and are building a database of materials which can be used in the parts being developed for the future.”
