Aerospace & Defense

Aerospace & Defense are very fast moving fields, where the demands must be met quickly and cost-efficiently. Therefore expensive and time consuming development projects and productions are no longer possible. 3D printing enables the competitiveness and the production of ultra-polymer end-use parts. The characteristics of high performance polymers are known to those working in the field, but now several non-critical parts can be produced in-house, and the information stays in-house and the manufacturing costs of the parts are relatively low.

Aerospace & Defense are in the forefront of engineering, and the success of the design depends on the optimized strength-to-weight ratio. 3D printing with ultra-polymers is the answer to both challenges. With 3D printing the component structure can be optimized for forms that would be challenging to traditional manufacturing methods. In 3D printing the parts can be sealed on the outer surface and reinforced with honeycomb structure on the inside, thus tuning the strength-to-weight ratio into a new dimension.

Ultra-polymers are known to be valuable, but in 3D printing there is no material waste, and the consumption and costs are low. The very high strength of polymers provides an opportunity to make lower weight entities.

High performance polymers with excellent mechanical strength and inherent flame retardancy make 3D printed parts suitable for Aeropace & Defense applications. The development of Ultra 3D printer has focused on bringing all the most common polymers to the customer’s use and making them easily printable without additional challenges and disruptions. The mechanical structures of the device, as well as the extraordinary temperature control ensure reliable and continuous workflow.

• Aerospace industry have embraced 3D printing to enhance performance by building parts that reduce weight and improve fuel economy.
• Premium materials with little waste is cost-effective combination for Aerospace & Defense.

Automotive industry is undergoing a change, where new, more environmentally friendly solutions are the focal point of technical design. Therefore the materials, production methods and particularly emission minimization are a matter of honor for this self-respecting and innovative field.

Automotive industry in known to be a race of top experts, where better and more effective solutions are invented. The parts and ideas do not just happen; they require a full time continuation of design and testing. New solutions must be lightweight and durable, and then high performance polymers come into play. Heavy metals are replaced with ultra-polymers, and 3D printing offers a very cost-efficient and competitive production method for product design and mass customized parts.

3D printing enables the production of completely exceptional structures through topological optimization to get the optimal strength-to-weight ratio for the parts. Moreover, it gives quick access to the various jigs and fixtures needed in the production. Ultra 3D printer enables the testing of prototypes at a rate that will not stop the design team’s work because of waiting for the test results. The answers are available immediately, and therefore the design work continues and new innovations keep coming.

• 3D printing is most widely used in automotive and motor vehicle industries.
• Ultra polymers has high heat deflection temperatures which is required in many automotive applications.

Oil & Gas industry has become very competitive, and the cost reduction, made possible by new innovations, plays a significant role. The designers’ task is to design more and more cost-efficient, durable and readily available components of materials that endure chemically corrosive environments and strain.

The designing of special components and their production in single copies or small series is relatively expensive, and the storage and deployment of the components is a logistic challenge. 3D printing is a solution for producing the prototypes and end-products cost-efficiently, and it can be done where they are needed.

Ultra-polymers are in everyday use in the field as seals, connectors, fittings and slide pads, but 3D printing offers an alternative way to produce components of said materials. With Ultra 3D printer it is possible to produce parts only as needed. Therefore the prototypes and spare parts can be quickly implemented and no time is wasted by waiting for the components.

• PAEK family ultra polymers offers reliability and excellent chemical resistance in extreme environments.
• For Oil & Gas industry, 3D printing offers the opportunity to solve logistic challenges by manufacturing the products where they are needed.