“Additive manufacturing has integrated seamlessly into our design and production process, and has seen us enjoy improved lead-times, reduced costs and enhanced operational efficiency,” said Simon Rieu, Composite and Additive Manufacturing Manager at Latécoère’s R&D and Innovation Center. “As the requirements of the aerospace industry become more demanding, we’re also mindful of the need to maintain our competitive edge, and Stratasys additive manufacturing enables us to meet that objective.”
Previously, Latécoère had used CNC machining for rapid prototyping, but the technology proved to be less than satisfactory for the company’s needs.
“We recently produced a 3D printed prototype to verify the fit and function of a part for the interior lining of an aircraft door,” said Rieu. “Previously, this would have been made from sheet metal – an often-time-consuming process. With our Fortus 450mc 3D Printer, we produced a fully-functional prototype in two days, reducing our lead times by a staggering 95%. Crucially this has accelerated our design validation process before committing to costly and time-consuming tooling.”
Latécoère is also using the Fortus 450mc for the on-demand manufacture of customized production tools, which has reduced time and cost and also enhanced operator efficiency.
“Using metal sheet manufacturing, creating a tool can take up to six weeks. Now we can 3D print a tool in just two days and 50% lighter using ULTEM 9085 material,” said Rieu. “With our 3D printer, we can also optimize the geometry of the tool to perfectly fit the part – making the operator’s job much easier. Not only has this accelerated our production process dramatically, but I also estimate that we’ve reduced our tool production costs by a massive 40%.”
Latécoère’s plan for the future is to 3D print final production parts for its leading aircraft manufacturer clients. The company has been looking at the potential of using the Fortus 450mc to produce final interior aircraft components with certification in mind. It has already used the 3D printer and ULTEM 9085 material to produce 3D printed air duct housing components, which has reduced weight and saved time compared to traditional production methods.
“Latécoère, like many of our aerospace customers, are benefiting from our proven FDM technology and high-performance materials for this industry,” said Andy Middleton, President of EMEA, Stratasys. “Our application-driven approach enables us to have a close interface with our customers to develop solutions optimized for their design and production processes. Whether it’s accelerating design validation or the on-demand production of lightweight manufacturing tools, or even 3D printed interior aircraft parts, we are committed to ensuring our customers are given the right tools to optimize the use of additive manufacturing.”
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[Images: Stratasys]