Additive Manufacturing Accelerates Aerospace Production

June has been a pivotal month for additive manufacturing (AM) in aerospace. Industry leaders are introducing new materials, technologies, and turnkey solutions that meet the sector’s rigorous standards.

At the recent Paris Air Show, Stratasys showcased its FDM Fortus 900mc Production printer, demonstrating a new workflow that consistently produces parts compliant with both FAA and EASA regulations. This milestone means that high‑quality, certified components can be manufactured on a routine basis, expanding the role of 3D‑printed parts across mainstream aerospace production lines.

Regulatory certification remains a significant hurdle for AM in many fields—including medical and aerospace. The growing confidence in 3D‑printing’s reliability is now enabling specialists to develop customized solutions that address these constraints. Close collaboration between AM providers, whether in‑house or external, is essential to deliver parts that not only meet quality standards but also streamline compliance‑focused workflows.

In tandem with these technical advances, new alliances are forming and existing partnerships are deepening. GKN Aerospace, for instance, has broadened its collaboration with SaaB, adding a wider array of 3D‑printed metal parts and integrating cutting‑edge materials into their production pipeline.

While challenges persist, the increased collaboration across the industry is proving critical. It is propelling AM from a prototyping tool to a production mainstay and setting new best‑practice benchmarks for the aerospace sector.