Airtech and Ascent Aerospace cooperate for 3D-printed tools in the aerospace sector

Airtech Advanced Materials Group, a specialist in additive manufacturing materials, and Ascent Aerospace, a leader in the manufacture of aerospace tooling, have entered into an exclusive supply agreement. The aim of the partnership is to support Ascent in the production of large format tooling for civil and military aerospace, with Airtech providing its advanced resin products and technical expertise.

As part of the co-operation, Ascent will exclusively use Airtech resins for its additive manufacturing processes. This decision is based on the long-standing business relationship between the two companies and their shared focus on advancing the use of large-format 3D printing in tooling.

“We are excited to collaborate with the team at Ascent Aerospace to support the initiative to supply high performance, large format printed tooling in some of the most challenging applications in the industry,” said Gregory Haye, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Airtech Advanced Materials Group. “Ascent has been a long-time customer of Airtech, and we look forward to growing this relationship while helping the market adopt this game-changing technology.”

The use of 3D printing in tool production is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the aerospace industry, as it enables faster and more cost-effective solutions. Ascent has introduced additive manufacturing in recent years to meet this demand.

“With the vast number of ongoing and forecasted development programs moving at an accelerated pace, Ascent implemented additive manufacturing capabilities to provide a cost-effective, rapid tooling solution. However, it became imperative for us to have an expert in material science walk alongside us,” said Dan Friz, Vice President of Business Development and Sales at Ascent Aerospace. “This agreement with Airtech ensures Ascent’s customer’s technical requirements are achieved with their material expertise, allowing Ascent to focus on delivering a tooling solution that meets the program’s cost and schedule expectations.”

This partnership combines Airtech’s high-performance materials with Ascent’s manufacturing expertise to advance the use of polymer composite tooling in 3D printing for the world’s most demanding customers and applications.