The aerospace industry is unique from others in the sense that it focuses on the low-volume production of systems that incorporate complex mechanical and electronic components. With the constant need for the refinement of parts, being able to produce high quality, ready-for-market products that are lightweight, waste-reducing, temperature-withstanding, and offer a significantly reduced lead time is a must.

3D Systems’ Application Innovation Group impact is designed to accelerate and de-risk your AM application development. They help each customer chart their own course forward. To do so, this industry-leading company has come up with an eight-step process that is tailored to customer and application requirements.

Applications Screening

A complete analysis and scorecard for up to 5 prioritized applications

Design for Metal Additive Manufacturing Training

Introduction to design for additive manufacturing (DfAM)

DMP basics, design, and preparation guidelines

Methodology to approach product design

Co-engineering workshop on customer applications

Custom Process-Material Development

Assessment of alloy feasibility, printability

Process-specific parameter optimization

Design/execution of custom material development program

Creation of custom material/parameter database

Process qualification with custom database

Application Development - Quality by Design

Project initiation/feasibility assessment

Process development

Validation and verification

Design transfer

Application Support

Design optimization

Support strategies

Manufacturing workflow

Troubleshooting

Tips and tricks for parameters

Gap Assessment for Validated Direct Metal Printing (DMP) Production

Introduction to our proven validation strategy

Analysis of customer QMS

Review of products/processes/process controls

Assessment of potential QMS gaps related to adopting AM technology for production

Gap assessment report

Proposal based on 3D Systems’ proven validation strategy

Validation and Qualification

Support of a 3D Systems validation engineer for the successful implementation of 3D Systems’ proven DMP validation strategy, including:

Risk assessment and process characterization

Implementation of quality and process control ecosystem

Writing of procedures related to peripheral processes such as powder management maintenance and test method validations

Writing of procedures and protocols related to equipment, process, and software validation

Execution of corresponding validation activities

Data analysis and reporting of validation activities

Participation of a 3D Systems validation engineer in the first regulatory body audit covering the DMP validation

Technology Transfer

Gap Assessment

Technology and quality gap assessment

Customer on-site facility assessment

Customer current QMS, existing processes and organization analysis

3D Systems recommendations to implement new processes specific to additive manufacturing

Statement of work (SoW) to successfully integrate additive manufacturing to customer production within a defined timeline and budget

Milestone Driven Technology Transfer

(Exemplary work packages)

AM equipment installation, performance and operational qualification

AM quality process controls

Post-processing and controls (heat treatment, plate removal, finishing, etc.)

Application/product-specific technology transfer

The fine detail that additive manufacturing pays attention to is ideal for liquid mixers, thrusters and heat exchangers, and the fact that they have the advantage of being lightweight is a big drawcard for industry professionals. Unique to 3D Systems’ direct metal printing (DMP) process is the ultra-low oxygen build environment enabled by vacuum pre-cycling and a leak-tight vacuum chamber. This architecture is especially important for reactive materials such as titanium and aluminium alloys, which tend to hold and pick up oxygen when exposed.

3D Systems offers a broad range of polymer solutions for aerospace and defense applications. With over 100 plastic materials in a variety of production processes, they take a systematic approach to helping design engineers evaluate suitability for their production applications. AM plastic materials must have the right mechanical and performance properties demonstrated by industry-standard testing in order to be adopted into production workflows in aerospace.