At present, the new crown virus continues to disrupt global supply chains. The inability of supply chains to meet the surge in demand has led to a 10-year high in aluminum prices. Aerospace manufacturers must find new strategies to better respond to rapidly changing supply chains and labor supply.
On March 16, 2022, Antarctic Bear learned that in response to these problems, aerospace manufacturers such as CMS, Hangar One, LISI Aerospace and JJ Churchill have begun to use 3D printing technology to shift more business in-house to speed up manufacturing.
△ JJ Churchill 3D printed jet engine turbine coordinate measuring machine (CMM) fixture
Keep your business inside the company
By keeping their businesses in-house, aerospace manufacturers have direct control over their supply chains. CMS is an airline based in Conroe, Texas, USA, specializing in entertainment systems for luxury private jets and business jets. Their projects often involve replacing or repairing aging cabin systems, including discontinued parts. These projects are time- and labor-intensive and require on-site repairs. All aircraft materials must be thoroughly tested and 100% traceable to qualify for FAA approval.
CMS addresses the need for unique parts that are customized on demand by purchasing a 3D printer. On one plane, the CMS team 3D printed at least 100 different parts using a Markforged X7 printer. By having part of the business done in-house, CMS reduces its dependence on the supply chain, as well as costs and turnaround times.
Another aerospace manufacturer and maintenance company, Hangar One Avionics, based in San Diego, California, USA, specializes in law enforcement and special mission aircraft for customers around the world, including Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Cessna and Fuselages. Many of its customers require low-volume or disposable custom parts to improve cockpit safety and convenience. Before adopting 3D printing, they relied on time-consuming traditional processing methods with scrap rates of up to 65%.
The Hangar One, through a 3D printer, built a center console for a fixed-wing Cessna aircraft in record time and was able to customize it further, such as cup holders, niches for pilot keyboards, as well as hand controllers and USB chargers. By using 3D printers internally, the team can take control of the supply chain.
Faster manufacturing
3D printing also enables shorter turnaround times, allowing manufacturers to get more done.
LISI Aerospace is a global specialist in the production of assembly solutions and aircraft engines and structural components. It manufactures fasteners for customers in the Airbus and civil aircraft markets at its rugby facility in the UK. Most fasteners are made of titanium, but a small percentage are made of steel. LISI Aerospace faces the challenge of having many variants within each product category. By using composite 3D printers, problems are solved faster, productivity is higher, and there is less damage, waste, and downtime when manufacturing high-quality aerospace fasteners. With the addition of 3D printing, LISI was able to introduce new fastener variants into its product line more quickly. Lisi's team created customized molds for new products without the additional risk of traditional mold lead times, which can take up to nine months.
JJ Churchill uses Markforged's 3D printer to manufacture the CMM fixture
Another aviation manufacturer that uses 3D printing technology to produce faster is JJ Churchill, a precision aerospace manufacturing and engineering company. When manufacturing jet engine turbine blades, they found that the traditional method of using coordinate measuring machine (CMM) fixtures involved multiple roughing and finishing operations, slowing down iterations and increasing machining wait times. Huge time and processing costs are wasted, as fixtures need to be highly precise, repeatable and robust.
By using 3D printers, JJ Churchill can produce complex custom geometries that provide efficient and safe fixtures for small batches of parts. Combining customized 3D printing with off-the-shelf parts allowed the team to streamline production and improve functionality. Now, they can design and test fixtures in a week, reducing material waste and improving quality and precision – saving 70% of the time and 80% of the cost.
△ By 3D printing CMM fixtures, JJ Churchill saved 70% of the time and 80% of the cost
Supply chains make headlines every day. While we can't fully predict what new challenges manufacturers will face tomorrow, we can be sure that the new day will bring new bottlenecks, supply constraints or shifts in consumer demand. Aerospace manufacturers who can most quickly adapt their processes to the environment will be able to survive and thrive.