17
In similar vein, ABS-ESD7 thermoplastic,
previously only available on Stratasys Fortus
printers, is built for static-sensitive applications
to prevent discharge or attraction to other
materials like powders, dust and ne particles.
An affordable, ESD-safe material, ABS-ESD7 is
said to be ideal for manufacturing tooling.
applications. Also suitable for demanding
tooling applications is Nylon-based Diran for the
Stratasys F370 printer, a thermoplastic that
offers extreme toughness and low friction,
combined with resistance to hydrocarbon-based
chemicals.
Says Adam Pawloski, vice president of
manufacturing solutions at Stratasys. “We see
growing adoption of 3D printing in production
environments, yet engineers and designers
struggle with thermoplastics that just can’t
match the extreme requirements of
manufacturing-based applications. Our
thermoplastics can remove these barriers to
accelerate adoption of 3D printing in
manufacturing settings, allowing users to
design and create faster, while minimising
costs often associated with traditional
approaches.”
Elsewhere, Coventry-based MTC has added
to its Stratasys equipment stock – the MTC is
the UK’s National Centre for Additive
Manufacturing and is heavily involved in
aerospace projects. MTC has had an of cial
partnership with 3D printing expert Stratasys
since 2017, so the new Fortus 450mc
installation complements the organisation’s
existing stable of Stratasys PolyJet solutions,
which comprises full-colour, multi-material
J-Series 3D printing technology, as well as the
large-scale Objet1000 unit.
According to the MTC, the new addition
strengthens its capability to meet more
www.machinery.co.uk February 2020
MTC engineer Charleigh Taylor alongside the
organisation’s latest Stratasys unit, a Fortus
450mc
demanding production applications for UK
manufacturers and develop new innovative
solutions. One of those is the manufacture of
complex tooling, while the MTC will additionally
use Fortus 450mc for the manufacture of its
own tooling for its robotics and automation
department, replacing aluminium tooling.
Finally, demonstrating its continued pushing
of the plastic 3D-printed aerospace parts
message, this year Stratasys is supporting a
Lufthansa Technik event to be held in Hamburg
next month. This follows a successful
collaboration with Etihad Engineering on Aircraft
Cabin Additive Manufacturing 2019 in Abu
Dhabi. Lufthansa Technik will host Aircraft
Cabin Additive Manufacturing 2020, supported
by Stratasys. It is taking place in Hamburg at
the ZAL Tech Center.
Lufthansa Technik, the maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) division of aerospace
company Lufthansa, established a new Additive
Manufacturing Center in Germany to develop
lightweight aircraft parts in 2018.
At Aircraft Cabin Additive Manufacturing
2020, topics such re testing, robot-guided
additive manufacturing for large-scale cabin
parts, the bene t of using additive
manufacturing for airlines, intellectual property,
certi cation, colouring on cabin 3D printing
materials and more will be discussed.
British Airways joins the
3D-printed plastic parts party
In December last year, British Airways announced that it is exploring the possibility of using 3D
printers to create aircraft parts. These printers would be located at airports around the world to
reduce both delays for customers and emissions caused by transporting items.
Non-essential cabin parts will be rst on the list to be generated, including pieces of tray
tables, entertainment systems and toilets. While these components do not impact the safe
operation of a ight, the company points out that they can reduce the number of seats or
toilets available for customers, and so cause delays as engineers wait for the parts to be own
to the aircraft.
3D printing is an essential step towards the sustainable future of aviation, as the printers
can produce parts that, while as strong and durable as traditional components, weigh up to
55% less. Every kilogram removed from aircraft weight saves up to 25 tons of CO2 emissions
during the lifespan of an aircraft.
Kyal Machine Tools Limited.
The Settling Rooms, Springfield Street.
MARKET HARBOROUGH
Leicestershire LE16 8BD
Tel No. 01858 467182
e-mail: simon@kyalmachinetools.co.uk
/www.machinery.co.uk
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