The British company WAAM3D is part of the new I-Break research project for manufacturing aircraft components using 3D printing. In the £22.5 million project, industry and academia are working together on the additive manufacturing of structural components for landing gear.
Until now, these have been made from large forgings. The aim of I-Break is to use innovative techniques such as metal 3D printing to reduce the carbon footprint by 30 percent and speed up the time to market for new aircraft.
Leading the effort is a major aircraft manufacturer. WAAM3D is one of a total of 15 partners from industry and research. In the project, the British company wants to further develop its WAAM technology for higher productivity and component quality. It is supported by the universities of Cranfield and Strathclyde and the testing technology manufacturer Peak NDT.
According to WAAM3D Managing Director Gary Elliott, I-Break is a showcase project of how targeted R&D funding can strengthen the UK as an aerospace location. The UK Department of Trade and Industry’s Aerospace Technology Initiative (ATI) is funding the project to the tune of more than £200 million. According to Elliott, the aviation industry can also achieve its sustainability goals in this way.
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