3D printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing (AM), is becoming a highly valued technology in the aerospace industry. It is used to create prototypes, production tooling, as well as to develop components with the most optimized functionality.
In the aviation industry, weight reduction can result in huge operational cost savings of up to 90% and this goal can be achieved by adopting 3D printing technology.
And in fact, using AM technology in the aerospace sector can be a means to a less carbon-emitting sky. Because it can help engineers create lighter and more fuel-efficient aircraft in a more cost-effective way.
When this materializes, it is an important improvement that the aerospace sector around the world has long wanted to achieve. In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft and reduce airline operating costs.
Did you know?
Such is the influence of 3D printing in the aerospace sector that by 2021, it is estimated that 75% of new commercial and military aircraft will consist of components made using 3D printers.
This is as written in a scientific publication entitled, Advance Aircraft Design Configuration Evolution and Design Consideration With Emphasis on Narrow Body Type Tihu Aircraft Design Team.
Seeing the increasingly massive development of 3D printing technology, the Bawalaksana.id team invites you to explore the advancement of this technology and how it benefits the aerospace and aircraft sectors.
Let’s take a look at the full discussion below.
3D printer to print Vital Aircraft Components
The aerospace sector has been a pioneer in adopting 3D printer technology since 30 years ago. Through applications in this sector, the development of 3D technology has accelerated and the aerospace industry has been one of the biggest beneficiaries.
Quoting from Xometry, 3D printer technology is used to print important parts of the aircraft, such as:
- Aircraft engine components such as fuel nozzle, fuel tank, turbine blade, rocket body, etc.
- Making tools for repairs such as jigs, fixtures and production equipment
- Molded structural components including interior, exterior and various support components for the airplane body.
The materials used are very diverse, ranging from titanium, copper, nickel, carbon fiber, polymers, composites and others.
By utilizing 3D printer technology, engineers can freely design and print components with very complex geometries. So that the optimization of the function of each component can reach the best level.
The main benefit of adopting this technology is to help in reducing aircraft weight and air resistance.
As we mentioned earlier, weight and air resistance contribute significantly to operational cost savings. Both for commercial aircraft and spacecraft.
3D Technology Aids in Optimizing Design and Production Processes
Quoting from Forbes, that the use of industrial 3D printers has become a game changer for aircraft design and manufacturing, as it affects four aspects of the business:
- Weight
- Cost
- Environmental impact
- Load
Additive Manufacturing, which is another name for 3D printing, offers the convenience of producing replacement parts on-demand and in small quantities. Of course, with shorter lead times, lighter weight and lower costs.
One application is in the production of brackets for seat belts on the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, as shown below.
For your information, this bracket is a component that will be installed behind the crew seat. Its function is to keep the seat belt in place and its size is about 10 x 40 cm.
Mareike Boeger, the head of Additive Manufacturing Solutions at Satiar Group said, “3D printing gives us the ability to cost-effectively produce parts that are only needed in small quantities based on ‘demand’, and provide them to our customers quickly.”
The convenience offered by 3D printer technology made Boeger determined to explore this technology further. This is because 3D printer technology has contributed greatly to the company’s on-demand production of aircraft components.
If this can be harnessed, the efficiency of storage space and capital tied up in aircraft parts can be optimized.
Up to 90% Raw Material Savings
The additive manufacturing process using industrial 3D printers contributes to a significant reduction in waste. In fact, this technology can help companies save up to 90% on raw materials.
This is not surprising, as the production process in 3D technology involves building objects layer by layer and using only the materials required for that part.
As opposed to subtractive manufacturing methods (such as CNC machining) that start with a solid block of material and remove a large portion of it to get the desired shape.
Compact Design and 25% Lighter
The development of technology in the field of Additive Manufacture, such as 3D printers, has made it much easier for engineers to design components to be more optimized.
The R&D team can explore widely to find the best, compact and lighter design.
Moreover, engineers can also mold components with complex geometries into a single integrated structure.
Thus, the design and function of the components reach the most optimal level. At the same time, the weight of the components becomes lighter and stronger.
For example, when making an aircraft fuel nozzle tip, the number of components can be reduced by about 20 parts or become more compact. Whereas previously the nozzle was made from several component parts and then welded into a single piece.
Thanks to this AM technology, the weight of the nozzle tip can decrease by about 25%.
This confirms that by using 3D printing machines in the aerospace sector, companies can save on raw materials and production processes, and the time required to assemble parts is reduced.
In addition, the components made can meet the standards of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Boeing Flies Over 60,000 3D Printed Aircraft Parts
In 2018, Boeing, one of the world’s largest aerospace companies from the United States, announced its investment in Digital Alloys, a developer of high-speed multilogam additive manufacturing.
The investment helps Boeing to speed up the design and production of airplane components, and lower production costs. This is thanks to adopting metal 3D printing technology in the production process.
Through vital investments in this area, Boeing has successfully produced and flown more than 60,000 3D-printed parts on aerospace, commercial and military products.
This is the information published by the official website Boeing Company in August 2018.
On a separate occasion, Boeing also collaborated with Norsk Titanium to produce aircraft structural components made of titanium metal using 3D printing technology.
On a separate occasion, Norsk Titanium CEO Warren M. Boley, Jr. stated that the aircraft components that Norsk Titanium supplies to Boeing have met the strict certification requirements of the FAA, as reported by Voxel Matters.
“We are proud to take this historic step with a great aerospace innovator like Boeing,” said M. Boley, Jr.
“The Norsk Titanium team will continue to expand the portfolio of components supplied to Boeing that meet stringent certification requirements. It is an honor to gain FAA approval for this structural component,” he concluded.
Launching from Engineering.com, that the structural component in question will be used for the Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Boeing hopes that these efforts can make production costs cheaper and cut by $2 to $3 million.
Airbus Saves Up to 90% Energy and a Dream that Will Soon Come True
3D printing has greatly changed the future of manufacturing for aircraft components around the world. This technology is opening up a new era in aviation in a way that has never been seen before.
In today’s aerospace sector, industrial-grade 3D machines are not only used for prototyping, but also for manufacturing vital components of the aircraft itself.
Airbus is one of the pioneers utilizing AM technology in the aerospace sector. The company has successfully simplified the production process of complex components to be more practical and lightweight, and achieved an energy efficiency improvement of up to 90%.
Quoting from AviationPros, that 3D printing makes it easier to make very complicated shapes of aircraft components. That is by utilizing a laser beam that can shape the component model as desired.
“We are at the starting point of a gradual change in weight reduction and efficiency to produce aircraft components that weigh 30%-55% percent less, while reducing the raw materials used by 90%,” said Peter Sander, who served as Airbus VP Emerging Technologies & Concepts (Germany) from 1981 to 2020.
By using 3D printing technology, components that have been designed and manufactured can produce natural and topologically optimized shapes.
Herein lies the advantage of Additive Manufacturing (AM) over conventional manufacturing that starts from a solid block of material to create a component.
Sander adds, “This game-changing technology can also reduce the total energy used in production by up to 90% compared to traditional methods.”
Therefore, by investing in 3D printing technology, Airbus gains various benefits including:
- Production Efficiencies: Compared to traditional manufacturing methods, Airbus reports energy usage reduced by 90%, raw material savings of 90% and lead times shortened by 75%.
- Weight Optimization: Parts produced through 3D printing are up to 55% lighter than conventionally produced parts.
- Process Simplification: Manufacturing stages are reduced by 50% compared to using traditional milling processes.
Apart from the three points above, Airbus can also significantly accelerate the product development cycle. In fact, this AM technology has become vital to assist in making various production tools, tooling, jigs and fixtures.
Bionic Partition and an Imminent Dream
Currently, Airbus has also developed a lighter-weight aircraft cabin structure known as the Bionic Partition for the A320 aircraft.
The structure of the Bionic cabin is inspired by nature and combined with 3D printing technology.
Bionic (or biomimetic) structures mimic the bone structure of birds or the leaves of plants (such as the Indian water rose), which have a lightweight and strong structure. By applying the Bionic Partition to the cabin of the A320 aircraft, the weight loss of the aircraft structure is reduced by 45%.
An interesting fact related to this is that by using Bionic Partition in the A320, exhaust emissions can be reduced by about 10 tons ofCO2 per year.
Peter Sander believes, therefore, that airplanes in the future will have “bionic” fuselages, with intricate components printed using AM or 3D printers.
“This dream will come true,” he concludes.
Exploring the Sky with 3D-Printed Aircraft
After listening to the explanations contained in this article, we believe that in the future we will explore the skies using airplanes made by industrial 3D printers.
This is evidenced by many of the most vital aircraft components, including nozzles and structural parts being produced using 3D printing technology.
These modern technologies have contributed greatly to creating lighter, yet still strong aircraft that meet the standards of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The ultimate goal of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology for the aerospace sector is none other than to make aviation more efficient, achieve setCO2 emission targets and provide important growth for the aerospace industry.
3D printing technology can provide significant advantages in terms of small-scale production, weight reduction and lead time. It also reduces waste, energy consumption and environmental impact.
Aerospace industry-scale 3D printers also contribute greatly to helping the engineering team design and produce aircraft components with the most optimized functions.
This advancement needs to be recognized as a game changer for the aerospace industry and Additive Manufacturing technology itself.
If that’s the case, we can’t wait to see how this technology evolves and how it affects commercial air transport fleets in the future.
PT. Bawalaksana Central Industrial is a company engaged in industrial parts supplier that can provide all-in solutions for your company.
Our company can supply a wide range of general industrial, petrochemical, medical and aerospace needs, such as Additive Manufacturing technology or 3D printers.
We are the authorized distributor for Italian Plastic Mebra, Metal Work Pneumatic and Instruments To Industry (ITI) from the UK, as well as an authorized solution partner for Phoenix Contact.
With this competitive advantage, it proves that we have strong partners in Asia and Europe. And can be your best partner to create a modern and sustainable industry.
Through a good collaboration with us, we hope that your company can welcome the bright future of the industry with the growing Additive Manufacturing technology.
If your company wants to adopt 3D printer technology (industrial or desktop), we can help you professionally. Please talk to our team of experts by clicking the consultation button below.
![10+ Examples of Pneumatic Tools in Daily Life and Industry [2025]](https://bawalaksana.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Sandblasting-large-diameter-pipes-to-remove-surface-contaminants-1080x675.jpg)
