3D printing is a viable option for many medium-sized production runs, particularly high-end interior build-outs in the aerospace industry. Production volumes in this industry are generally very large (over 70,000 parts per year) thereby paving the path for 3D printing or additive manufacturing.

It is estimated that there is a cost reduction of 60-90% on the manufacturing of components in the aerospace industry with the use of additive manufacturing techniques. Parts like guides, templates, gauges, jigs and fixtures have benefited drastically with these techniques. Up until now, it was 3D printing that was dominating the structural, low-volume metal brackets that mount complex life-saving systems in the interior walls of aircraft, but with the introduction of additive manufacturing techniques in the aerospace industry, the cost reduction and other benefits cannot be ignored.

Additive manufacturing provides numerous benefits like reduced manufacturing lead time, streamlined supply chains, part consolidation, structural optimization and superior buy-to-fly ratios.

• Enables manufacturing internal channels for conformal cooling, thin walls and complex curved surfaces.
• Enables topological optimization of internal parts and integration of functional features in a single component.
• Enables fabrication of highly complex and lightweight structures with high stability.