- 95% reduction in prototype lead times
using Stratasys’ Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer in place of CNC
machining
- Manufacture of production tools reduced
from six weeks to just two days, while tool production costs
slashed by 40%
Stratasys (Nasdaq:SSYS), a global leader in applied additive
technology solutions today announced that French aircraft design
and manufacturing group, Latécoère, is deploying Stratasys FDM
additive manufacturing throughout its design and production
process, accelerating the development process and improving
business performance.
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3D printed tool used to install wiring in
Airbus A380 camera case, produced using Stratasys' Fortus 450mc
Production 3D Printer (Photo: Business Wire)
Faced with lengthy lead-times and costly design iterations,
Latécoère – which services aerospace giants including Airbus,
Bombardier and Dassault – is using its Stratasys Fortus 450mc
Production 3D Printer for both rapid prototyping and production
tooling. According to Simon Rieu, Composite and Additive
Manufacturing Manager at Latécoère’s R&D and Innovation Center,
the adoption of this technology has been transformational for both
design and manufacturing.
“Additive manufacturing has integrated seamlessly into our
design and production process, and has seen us enjoy improved
lead-times, reduced costs and enhanced operational efficiency,” he
says. “As the requirements of the aerospace industry become more
demanding, we’re also mindful of the need to maintain our
competitive edge, and Stratasys additive manufacturing enables us
to meet that objective.”
Accelerating Design Validation
Traditionally, the company uses CNC machining for rapid
prototyping, but this has presented limitations. “We recently
produced a 3D printed prototype to verify the fit and function of a
part for the interior lining of an aircraft door,” explains Rieu.
“Previously, this would have been made from sheet metal – an
often-time-consuming process. With our Fortus 450mc 3D Printer, we
produced a fully-functional prototype in two days, reducing our
lead times by a staggering 95%. Crucially this has accelerated our
design validation process before committing to costly and
time-consuming tooling.”
Latécoère recently 3D printed a prototype camera case for the
Airbus A380 aircraft for design validation with the camera’s
internal parts housed inside. Prior to Stratasys FDM 3D additive
manufacturing, the team would have been forced to directly
manufacture an aluminum camera case for testing, with any design
iterations proving costly. Using ULTEM 9085 material, the 3D
printed prototype is also 50% lighter than its metal counterpart,
enabling more efficient functional part testing.
Enhancing production tooling
The company is also utilizing its Fortus 450mc 3D Printer for
the on-demand manufacture of customized production tools. This has
not only seen significant reductions in time and cost, but also
enhanced operator efficiency.
“Using metal sheet manufacturing, creating a tool can take up to
six weeks. Now we can 3D print a tool in just two days and 50%
lighter using ULTEM 9085 material,” says Rieu. “With our 3D
printer, we can also optimize the geometry of the tool to perfectly
fit the part – making the operator’s job much easier. Not only has
this accelerated our production process dramatically, but I also
estimate that we’ve reduced our tool production costs by a massive
40%.”
Final flight-ready 3D printed production parts
Looking ahead, Latécoère’s long-term strategy is to 3D print
final production parts for next generation airplanes from the likes
of Airbus, Boeing, and other leading aircraft manufacturers.
Indeed, the company has already begun exploring the potential to
utilize its Fortus 450mc to produce final interior aircraft parts
with certification in mind. Using Stratasys’ tough, lightweight and
FST compliant ULTEM 9085 material, the team has 3D printed various
air duct housing components, which has seen significant weight
reductions and time savings compared to traditional production
methods.
Andy Middleton, President of EMEA, Stratasys, concludes,
“Latécoère, like many of our aerospace customers, are benefiting
from our proven FDM technology and high-performance materials for
this industry. Our application-driven approach enables us to have a
close interface with our customers to develop solutions optimized
for their design and production processes. Whether it’s
accelerating design validation or the on-demand production of
lightweight manufacturing tools, or even 3D printed interior
aircraft parts, we are committed to ensuring our customers are
given the right tools to optimize the use of additive
manufacturing.”
About Stratasys
Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) is a global leader in applied additive
technology solutions for industries including Aerospace,
Automotive, Healthcare, Consumer Products and Education. For nearly
30 years, a deep and ongoing focus on customers’ business
requirements has fueled purposeful innovations—1,200 granted and
pending additive technology patents to date—that create new value
across product lifecycle processes, from design prototypes to
manufacturing tools and final production parts. The Stratasys 3D
printing ecosystem of solutions and expertise—advanced materials;
software with voxel level control; precise, repeatable and reliable
FDM and PolyJet 3D printers; application-based expert services;
on-demand parts and industry-defining partnerships—works to ensure
seamless integration into each customer’s evolving
workflow. Fulfilling the real-world potential of additive,
Stratasys delivers breakthrough industry-specific applications that
accelerate business processes, optimize value chains and drive
business performance improvements for thousands of future-ready
leaders around the world.
Corporate Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot,
Israel.
Online at: www.stratasys.com,
http://blog.stratasys.com and LinkedIn.
Stratasys is a registered trademark and Fortus and Stratasys
signet are trademarks or registered trademarks of Stratasys Ltd.
and or its subsidiaries or affiliates. All other trademarks belong
to their respective owners.
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