The aviation industry is clearly at the forefront of high-quality metal 3D printing applications. As a reader of the OFweek3D printing network, you may have noticed that the aviation giant Airbus is particularly interested in this technology. We have reported many times that the company has used a lot of small 3D printed parts on the plane, and earlier this month, the company even tested a partially 3D printed aircraft engine. However, Airbus's ambitions don't stop there, they are still trying to use 3D printing to develop new manufacturing processes. For now, the company has partnered with Autodesk's The Living design studio to develop a large-scale "bionic" cabin isolation structure for its Airbus A320 aircraft. It is understood that this structure is printed in 3D using a new type of super-strong, lightweight alloy material called scalmalloy using direct metal laser sintering technology.
Although 3D printed metal parts are now not uncommon on Airbus aircraft, this is the first time that metal 3D printed parts have been used in aircraft cabin design. Compared to existing isolation structures, this new biomimetic isolation structure consists of several different components that are not only stronger, but also reduce the total amount by 55 pounds. According to the developer's plan, it will be used to separate the kitchen area at the rear of the cabin (see figure below). Airbus is expected to test these bionic isolation structures in early 2016, and if passed, they will be installed on every newly manufactured Airbus A320 aircraft next year.
Autodesk's The Living design studio played a key role in this development process. According to studio director David Benjamid, the isolation structure was broken down into a series of separate components during development. “Our goal is to reduce weight by 30%, so it is really necessary to use generative design. We have very clear goals and constraints. The isolation structure can only be connected to the aircraft fuselage through four points. We also need to be able to meet the isolation structure when necessary so that the stretcher can enter the cabin. For this we combine bionics with algorithm design in the design," he said. However, the end result was a 45% reduction in weight, setting a new record for cabin design. Airbus estimates that if the same method is applied to the entire cabin, it will reduce CO2 emissions by 465,000 metric tons per year – the equivalent of 96,000 vehicles disappearing from the road.
It is understood that the design idea of ​​this bionic structure is actually to connect the nodes like a spider web, so that the amount of materials is minimized. More importantly, this structural design ensures that if multiple nodes break due to impact, the overall structure will remain in the right place. Moreover, a separate isolation structure requires a total of 122 3D printed parts - they require 7 batches for separate printing. The researchers also used a custom algorithm to design a honeycomb structure that is particularly suited to the high-strength, low-weight requirements of aerospace parts.
Obviously, the materials used for 3D printing are also the key to improving the efficiency of the structure. The researchers used the mysterious scalmalloy, an aluminum-magnesium-bismuth alloy developed by Airbus subsidiary APWorks, which uses a direct metal laser sintered 3D printer . Airbus innovation manager Bastian Schaefer said: "é’ª (a rare earth additive in scalmalloy) enhances the strength properties of scalmalloy, making it very high strength. We tested its fracture conditions and it performed better than any other The current alloy material is better, due to its excellent mechanical properties, it will be extended before breaking."
However, the only drawback of this material is that 3D printing is too slow, but Bastian Schaefer added that an improved 3D printer could solve this problem. "Building speed is a problem, but in the next three years, we believe it will be better," he said.
Airbus further revealed that this generative design is ideal for designing 3D printed components for very specific targets and constraints due to its ability to take full advantage of the infinite computing power of cloud computing. “Generation design, additive manufacturing and the development of new materials are changing the way manufacturing companies like Airbus are making,†said Jeff Kowalski, chief technology officer at Autodesk. “This is not just an interesting hypothetical experiment – ​​this It is a full-featured component and we can expect to see it deployed to the aircraft in the near future. We look forward to working with Airbus to design new components for its current and future aircraft."
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