Apr 7, 2016 | By Kira
Airbus Group is further demonstrating its commitment to advancing research, development, and industrial production of the most advanced aircrafts in the world. The global leader in aeronautics, including space, defence, and commercial aircraft, today announced that it will be establishing a new 3D printing centre in Munich, Germany, dubbed the 'Aerospace Factory.'
Based at the Ludwig Bölkow Campus, an interdisciplinary venture between industry and universities at the Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen site in the south of Munich, the Aerospace Factory will research and apply innovative 3D printing materials and production methods for the aerospace industry, with a focus on developing lightweight, cost-efficient, and structurally complex propulsion systems.
A declaration of intent was signed today between the Aerospace Factory’s founding partners. These include:
- Aerospace company Airbus Safran Launchers
- Engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines
- Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) pioneer EOS GmbH
- Airbus Group Innovations
- The Technical University of Munich, with its Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management
- The Fraunhofer Development Center for X-Ray Technology (EZRT), a division of the Fraunhofer IIS
- Airbus subsidiary APWorks
- Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (IABG)
- The Airbus Endowed Chair for Integrative Simulation and Engineering of Materials and Processes (ISEMP) of the University of Bremen
- Virtual prototyping specialists ESI Group
One representative from each of the above partners will sit on the Aerospace Factory’s committee, with Airbus Safran Launchers representing the Chair. Each partner will contribute its expertise and resources along the entire value chain, including component design, metal powder and materials production, additive manufacturing, process simulation, and quality control, with the end goal of 3D printing mission-control propulsion systems.
The Ludwig Bölkow Campus
In addition to the 3D printing Aerospace Factory, Airbus Group also announced a new partnership with Siemens in the field of electric flight, inaugurated a new material research laboratory, and celebrated a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for its upcoming E-Aircraft System House.
With the E-Aircraft System House and Siemens agreement, Airbus plans to research and develop technologies for electric and hybrid aircraft systems, which will reduce both CO2 emissions and noise levels, while enabling new and efficient aircraft concepts. Construction for the facility is set to start in early 2017, with an official opening in 2018.
Ground-breaking ceremony for the E-Aircraft System House
As for the newly opened materials research laboratory, it belongs to Airbus Group Innovations, the group’s central global research network. The 4,500 square meter facility will house a team of 65 experts and will apply 3D printing, alongside other advanced manufacturing technologies, to develop robust and environmentally friendly materials for aerospace components.
Recently, Airbus announced its plans to 3D print half of its future airplane fleet in the coming decades, and an entire Aerospace Factory and materials research laboratory dedicated to metal and aerospace 3D printing is therefore a major step towards that goal. In further Airbus news, the company today announced a joint agreement with Alcoa, which will supply metal 3D printed airplane components as early as mid-2016.
Posted in 3D Printing Technology
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