Marshall Aerospace and Defence turns to Stratasys technology to 3D print final flight parts for innovative aircraft programme

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group is now using advanced 3D printing from Stratasys to manufacture flight-ready parts for several of its military, civil, and business aircraft, while producing specific ground-running equipment at a lower cost than aluminium alternatives.

The company is currently one of the world’s largest privately owned and independent aerospace and defence companies.

Marshall already has several pieces of 3D-printed ductwork flying on heavily modified aircraft, as well as holders for safety knives and switches for aircraft interiors.

3D printing flight-approved parts on demand enables the company to produce lighter parts than traditional methods, while also being significantly faster and at a lower cost.

Chris Botting, Materials, Processes, and Additive Manufacturing Engineer at Marshall ADG, said: “When manufacturing on complex engineering programmes, we need a method that can create an accurate, complex, functional, and lightweight duct efficiently with minimal tooling costs, and this is where 3D printing fits perfectly.”

“But we also need to ensure that the ducting work produced will be approved by the EASA for flight. As a result, we’re using the Stratasys Fortus 450mc FDM printer and ULTEM 9085 resin, a tough, yet lightweight 3D printing material with high thermal and chemical resistance.”

“This has been crucial to overcoming the stringent requirements of our industry, as we can now 3D print parts with the desired flame, smoke, and toxicity properties for use on aircraft interiors.”