Thinking Additive: Why Part-for-Part Replacement Makes Little Sense in Aviation

Additive Manufacturing solves problems.? That’s the whole point, right?? If you have a fast and cost effective way to produce the part you need, why consider 3d printing?? You shouldn’t.? Use it when you need it and it gives you the most advantage.

Aviation is the industry where 3d printing or additive manufacturing of production parts has seen its most significant adoption, but that level of adoption is still quite small compared to the myriad conventional manufacturing technologies available to manufacturers.? Awareness, likewise, is limited.? Some within the industry are aware that there are 3d printed polymer parts flying, but often that’s all they know.? Understanding where and how best to use additive manufacturing to solve problems in aviation is still just beginning to take root and has a long way to grow.

Case in point, at AM Craft - Aviation Additive Manufacturing Services , an airline customer reached out with a request to print a small bracket that was breaking too frequently.? The bracket wasn’t a radical design that needed to be 3d printed, but the quantity needed was small, so the airline thought that 3d printing might be a cost effective way to get a small number of replacement parts.?

Here is the bracket.? This isn’t a particularly good part for additive manufacturing.? It can be mass produced cheaply with traditional technology, and with this geometry in an anisotropic process, the 3d printed part is more likely to break than a traditionally manufactured one.? So, probably one to “no bid” from an expert additive manufacturer standpoint.

But, what if we zoom out a step and understand where this part fits in context to its assembly.? That’s shown here.? This bracket is on a panel that is also supporting electrical equipment.? The panel is a flat plate and has multiple attachment brackets to both secure the panel as well as support and retain the equipment housed on it.? This indicates several procured parts with multiple manual assembly steps.

Taking another step back, we can see that the panel assembly mounts within a luggage bin.? From these two zooming out steps, we now have a much more complete understanding of the problem than “can you print this bracket?”? We’re now into “can you solve this problem?” space.? Here is an assembly that is likely receiving a fair amount of abuse due to its location of convenience.? Yes, you could keep replacing the brackets that are bound to continue failing, but you could also consider a minor redesign to solve the problem more fundamentally.??

What if, instead of replacing the bracket part-for-part, we redesigned the entire panel for additive manufacturing?? We would have the opportunity to incorporate the mounting features integrally to the panel.? We would be able to simplify and improve the support and retention of the electronic equipment.? That equipment also requires a power supply; we could easily incorporate that additional assembly as well, improving access and ergonomics.

Though I can hear the customer, “But I just wanted the bracket.? Why would I do all this?”? First of all, you don’t have to do anything at all.? AM Craft - Aviation Additive Manufacturing Services is capable of completing the entire design and qualification of the part through an EASA part 21J design partner and then producing the part and delivering it to the customer complete with a FORM1 airworthiness certificate based on their EASA 21G Production Organization Approval.

And second, when we zoom out from the bracket to the assembly, we see that we’re not only solving the problem of replacing the part, but we are realizing additional gains as well.? From 10 part numbers, we reduce to 4 (60% reduction).? Instead of 8 different suppliers, there are now only 3 (62% reduction).? The overall production is reduced from 10 steps to only 3 (70% reduction), and even better from the end user standpoint, in-house production steps are reduced from 8 to only 1 (87% reduction).? The reduced assembly and procurement result in a 62% saving in administrative costs as well.??

Will the integral panel be more expensive than a bracket?? Absolutely, but you now have a solution that is substantially more easy to procure and assemble.? It’s also more robust,? so you will also never have to buy and install a replacement bracket because someone’s too-big roll-aboard, "almost" fit.? In the long run, it can save you repair and replacement effort and costs.

Is this a real example of a problem-solving 3d printed part for aviation?? The answer to that one is again the same - Absolutely.?

Learn more about AM Craft , and see more 3d printed solutions to problematic parts at Aircraft Interior Expo 2024 beginning May 28.

About the Author

Scott Sevcik leads Strategy and Business Development for AM Craft . Scott’s background spans the aerospace and additive manufacturing industries, with roles in Engineering and Program Management at Lockheed Martin and (what is now) Collins Aerospace , and Product and Aerospace leadership at Stratasys . Products Scott has helped develop or deliver are flying in orbit and on nearly every modern commercial and business aircraft. Many of those parts are 3D printed, owing to Scott’s role at Stratasys, where he helped establish FDM as an aerospace manufacturing technology. Scott holds an MBA and an MS in Aerospace Engineering from San Jose State University and a BS in Aerospace Engineering from 愛荷華州立大學 .