Arconic and Airbus achieve 3-D printing first

Arconic, Austin, Texas, has announced the installation of a 3-D printed titanium bracket on a series production Airbus A350 XWB commercial aircraft. According to the company, this installation marks a milestone for additive manufacturing (AM) in aerospace: While airplane makers have been using 3-D printed parts for components inside the cabin, equipping airframes with metal parts produced via AM is new.

In addition, Airbus’ installation of this 3-D printed titanium bracket on a series production commercial airplane, as opposed to a test airplane, marks a significant step forward in the qualification of more complex 3-D-printed parts for production aircraft. 3D-printed parts, including metal printed cabin brackets and bleed pipes, are already flying on Airbus A320neo and A350 XWB test aircraft.