Airtech and Ascent to Target Aerospace Tooling Market with Large-format 3D Printing

Aerospace tooling has long been a dream application for medium and large-format 3D printing firms. Large tools are often expensive, take a long time to produce, and can lead to supply chain disruptions. Large-format material extrusion, especially with low-cost pellets and followed by significant milling, could create smooth, high-quality tools quickly and at a lower cost. In practice, however, aerospace tooling has been more of a success in meetings and on websites than in actual production. Still, sometimes dreams take longer to materialize, and hopefully, by the end, they still make financial sense.

Airtech Advanced Materials Group is partnering with Ascent Aerospace through an exclusive supply agreement for aerospace tooling. Airtech is a major player in prepreg, vacuum bags, and fiberglass—materials that 3D printing aims to replace. Their Advanced Materials group has functioned like a compounder for the 3D printing market. In plastics, compounders are firms that customize high-volume materials to suit specific applications. Airtech also offers a Large Scale Additive Manufacturing service with two Thermwood LSAM systems, demonstrating their extensive expertise. They’ve also developed the Dahltram materials, engineered to have a favorable CTE, a critical factor for composites specialists.

Airtech has done an excellent job of turning a competitive threat into an opportunity by building capacity and expertise in Additive Manufacturing. This strategic approach benefits their current customers, generates real revenue, and positions them to capitalize on future developments in Additive. Their market entry has been exemplary, offering significant advantages to the firm, its clients, and the industry.

Now, they’re partnering with Ascent Aerospace, which designs and develops tooling, including 3D-printed tooling, for companies like Airbus and Boeing. Ascent is one of the few firms that not only delivers tools but also designs and produces all the tooling needed for an aircraft. They offer 3D scanning, aviation work platforms, and even large tools like entire wing molds. Ascent can provide all the fixtures and integration needed to manage the complete tooling setup for the Final Assembly Line. This comprehensive service is highly appealing to time-strapped aerospace companies, giving Ascent a direct, valuable relationship with major aerospace firms and making them much more indispensable than other players in the tooling sector.

Airtech is aligning itself with one of the few players capable of making 3D-printed tooling a substantial business quickly. In addition to commercial aviation, the partnership will also focus on the defense sector. As part of the agreement, Ascent will exclusively use Airtech resin (a term commonly used in the plastics industry for pellets or polymer material) for 3D printing.

“We are excited to collaborate with the team at Ascent Aerospace to support the initiative to supply high performance, large format printed tooling in some of the most challenging applications in the industry,. Ascent has been a long-time customer of Airtech, and we look forward to growing this relationship while helping the market adopt this game-changing technology,” stated Gregory Haye, Director of Additive Manufacturing, Airtech Advanced Materials Group.

“With the vast number of ongoing and forecasted development programs moving at an accelerated pace, Ascent implemented additive manufacturing capabilities to provide a cost-effective, rapid tooling solution. However, it became imperative for us to have an expert in material science walk alongside us. This agreement with Airtech ensures Ascent’s customer’s technical requirements are achieved with their material expertise, allowing Ascent to focus on delivering a tooling solution that meets the program’s cost and schedule expectations,” said Dan Friz, Vice President of Business Development and Sales at Ascent Aerospace.

That is another brilliant move by Airtech. Instead of pursuing partnerships with companies like Diehl or dealing directly with Airbus, this approach could get their materials onto a wide range of platforms, including widebody jets, in a faster and more strategic way. This partnership has the potential to significantly benefit both firms and their clients. Penetrating the aerospace market has been notoriously difficult for many companies. While there is widespread interest, actual implementation remains limited.

In the construction of large integrated assemblies and the ability to rapidly fine-tune solutions, 3D printing has the potential to excel. With Ascent on board, Airtech’s materials will now be used in some of the largest and most complex tooling projects. The market for this clearly exists, but it needs a company that can reassure the industry and guide them through the transition—this partnership might just be the one to make that happen.