The UK-based Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) has produced a new additive manufacturing (AM) strategy and roadmap in collaboration with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
This document outlines the actions the UK needs to take by 2028 to capitalise on the growing AM aerospace market, which the ATI has projected to reach £10bn by 2033.
By 2030, the ATI envisions an “order of magnitude growth” in the number of UK-produced air-worthy 3D printed parts within civil aerospace applications. These parts, the organization hopes, will be designed and delivered by a “fully capable end to end UK supply chain.”
Technology development reportedly must be synchronised with product decisions over the coming years, as the industry prepares for the next generation of commercial aircraft. The organization highlights the need to scale additive manufacturing away from research & development to the production of end-use parts.
The ATI also outlines that additive manufacturing is poised to play a critical role in realizing the aviation sector’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050.
According to the additive manufacturing roadmap, 3D printing will bolster the global competitiveness of the UK aerospace sector over the next decade.
“Advancing capabilities and getting additive manufactured parts onto aircraft is a key enabler on the journey to Destination Zero,” commented Alex Hickson, roadmap co-author and ATI’s Head of Technology – Structures, Manufacturing & Materials.
“This roadmap provides the strategic direction and key milestones which are key to delivering UK competitiveness in this area and securing the economic benefits on offer.”
The rise of 3D printing for aerospace applications
The ATI’s strategy and roadmap emphasize the potential of additive manufacturing to improve fuel efficiency, enable superior thermal management, and reduce part mass.
It also highlights the ability of 3D printing to consolidate complex assemblies into a single part, lowering manufacturing costs, cutting waste and minimizing manual labor. By reducing the time and costs of development, additive manufacturing can also accelerate the time to market of high-value aerospace products.
These advantages have led to a surge in 3D printer adoption among global aerospace manufacturers. The ATI’s roadmap highlights Airbus, Boeing, GE Aerospace, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., and Rolls-Royce as all leveraging additive manufacturing.
Notably, GE will incorporate over 304 metal 3D printed parts in its future GE9X engines. Elsewhere, Boeing alone has produced over 70,000 metal and polymer 3D printed parts across civil and defense aerospace applications. General Atomics has qualified over 350 flight-ready additively manufactured parts. These have accumulated more than 300,000 hours of flight time in unmanned aircraft.
The future of aerospace 3D printing in the UK
Despite growth in AM adoption, the ATI believes there is untapped potential and uptake in the UK’s aerospace sector.
According to the strategy, UK organizations have produced less than ten distinct metal 3D printed civil aircraft parts currently in use. This is “despite significant efforts and investment to date.”
The Government’s UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency has supported 811 AM-related projects with over £552m of funding between 2013 and 2023. Additionally, the ATI Programme has enabled over £120m worth of funding, backed by nearly £72m of grant funding for the aerospace sector.
The organization’s strategy argues 3D printing must achieve wide-scale adoption in the UK’s defense and civil aerospace by the end of the decade. Failure to do so may risk “long-term exclusion for a generation of aircraft.”
The UK reportedly possesses all the ingredients needed to move away from R&D and embrace full-scale 3D printing in aerospace end-part production. This includes a “comprehensive AM network boasting machine OEMs, rapidly growing supply chains, and unparalleled academic prowess.”
The roadmap identifies four key challenge areas impeding this: supply chain resilience, more efficient qualification, reducing part cost, and increasing application opportunities. Overcoming these challenges will reportedly enhance confidence in additive manufacturing, “enabling decision makers to confidently integrate this technology into future programmes.”
The ATI’s AM Strategy and Roadmap was developed following consultation with OEMs and over 50 partners from across the aerospace supply chain. The publication includes aerospace 3D printing case studies from Airbus, Eaton, GKN Aerospace and Rolls Royce.
The MTC believes the new roadmap will enable OEMs and Tier 1s to make better-informed decisions on where, when and how 3D printing can be optimized for next-generation aircraft.
“In turn, supply chains can build the capability to manufacture the components needed as they come to market, and help to secure a bright future for UK aerospace manufacturing,” added Katy Milne, the MTC’s Future Mobility Associate Director.
Expanding AM in UK aerospace
While work needs to be done to scale additive manufacturing in the UK’s aerospace sector, some domestic companies are already leading this drive.
British aerospace firm BAE Systems is currently producing a supersonic demonstrator to support the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The piloted aircraft prototype will assess a slew of new stealth technologies in support of the UK’s Tempest next-generation fighter jet.
Significantly, the firm is leveraging additive manufacturing to produce primary structural components for the demonstrator. Paul Wilde, head of Tempest at BAE Systems, has revealed that “There are parts on the aircraft that you canʼt make in other ways now than using additive processes.” Design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) has also reportedly been leveraged when producing structural parts.
A report from the Financial Times suggests that BAE is also 3D printing molds that will be used to manufacture carbon fiber components for the fighter jet. When made with traditional methods, these “mold tools” generally take 26 weeks to produce. 3D printing reportedly cuts this production time to just three weeks. BAE previously claimed that 30% of the Tempest’s parts will be 3D printed.
Elsewhere GKN Aerospace, headquartered in Birmingham, UK, claims that its 3D printed aircraft components are present on 100,000 commercial flights every day. Speaking at TCT 3Sixty 2024, Liam Pang, a Senior Research Engineer at the company, claimed that these range from 3D printing-enabled jet engines to DfAM-optimized hydraulic adapter blocks.
GKN is also part of an ongoing collaboration with European Space Agency and aerospace firm Ariane Group. This partnership has seen the company leverage laser powder bed fusion 3D printing to produce reusable rocket engine turbines for the Ariane 6 rocket. Additive manufacturing is said to have enabled 90% cost reductions on the turbines.
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Featured image shows a Rendering of an aircraft with Aerospace Technology Institute livery. Image via the ATI.
