Airframe Designs invests in continuous carbon fiber printing, complex parts as part of AM growth strategy
Qualifying and aligning with NCAMP for polymers and composites, 3D printed parts include radomes, air ducts, molds and helicopter enclosure panels, being delivered to well-known groups in aviation, defense and space.
Source | Airframe Designs
Aerospace company (Lancashire, England) is setting new quality levels as it grows its services in additive manufacturing (AM). The organization recently announced that it has aligned its material systems with the U.S. National Centre for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP), which works with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry partners to support its existing testing processes.
NCAMP sets its own benchmarks to qualify material systems and has created a shared materials database that can be viewed publicly. It is administered by Wichita State University’s (WSU) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).
“NCAMP is a valuable benchmark for AM processes which we have closely aligned to and qualified our own processes using internal and external testing regimes,” says Garry Sellick, AM manager at Airframe Designs. “This means we can produce a part with consistent and repeatable quality, allowing us to analyze it with the confidence that it meets the required standards of our customers.”
Using industry-recognized ultra-polymers, Airframe Designs uses its AM expertise to produce diverse parts for the aerospace industry including radomes, electrical housings and air ducting.
As part of its commitment to the development of aerospace-level AM, the company has also recently invested in a new Markforged (Waltham, Mass., U.S.) X7 printer that is capable of 3D printing high-strength polymer parts that include continuous carbon fiber reinforcements.
Airframe Designs continues to grow its abilities to produce highly complex components to some of the largest aviation, defense and space organizations worldwide. Recent projects undertaken by the company include the delivery of 3D printed composite mold tools for the medical sector, 3D printed tool fixture clamps for the aerospace sector and 3D printed enclosure panels for a helicopter project.
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