Industry Feature

Aerospace

Aerospace 3D printing: the simplest way to fabricate advanced composite and metal parts

From on-demand MRO and spare parts in commercial aviation to innovation in Urban Air Mobility, aerospace industry leaders are improving responsiveness to rapidly shifting supply chains and labor availability with Additive Manufacturing.

The Digital Forge gives modern manufacturers the simplest way to build with materials they already know. Fabricate end-use carbon fiber composites unattended, overnight. Skip multi-week lead times and expedite fees for metal and composite prototypes, tools, and fixtures.

For the first time, Markforged supports ULTEM™ 9085 Filament on the Digital Forge. The FX20 3D printer can reinforce ULTEM™ Filament with continuous Carbon Fiber, bringing composite strength to an aerospace ready material. Traceable, flight-ready Onyx FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A provide another flame retardant printing solution.

*The ULTEM™ and 9085 trademarks are used under license from SABIC, its affiliates or subsidiaries.

Traceable, Purpose-Built Materials

ULTEM™ 9085 Filament, Onyx FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A are all lot-qualified, flame-retardant materials. Each is purpose-built for the requirements of the aerospace, transportation and automotive industries. FR-A materials establish lot-level material traceability and pass the test suite necessary for qualification under 14 CFR 25.853 for most 3D-printable parts. Onyx FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A as printed on the Markforged X7 are undergoing qualification through the NCAMP process.

Prepared for Regulated Applications

Markforged recognizes the advanced regulatory and functional requirements of the aerospace industry. Traceable materials, software version-locking for parts, Blacksmith in-process laser inspection, and ongoing NCAMP qualification for Onyx FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A on the X7 provide the foundations for accelerating the path from digital art to flying part.

On-Demand, Distributed Manufacturing

Turn the supply chain into a competitive advantage with distributed manufacturing at bases, airports, and maintenance depots. With a digital library and on-demand fabrication, get MRO and spare parts where and when you need them with the only additive manufacturing platform built to go anywhere.

Join industry leaders by investing in additive

“In aerospace, it's important to have quality parts we can adapt on the fly to make any changes the customer requests.”
Jeff Pike
VP of Engineering, Cabin Management Solutions (CMS)

ULTEM™ 9085 Filament: Aerospace Ready Polymer

Long used as a high value aerospace polymer, ULTEM™ 9085 Filament is now printable on the FX20. Its superior performance in flame, toxicity, and smoke (FST) tests and its high strength make it a choses material for aircraft and spacecraft alike.

The FX20 is Markforged’s new flagship 3D printer — capable of reinforcing ULTEM™ 9085 Filament with continuous Carbon Fiber.

Onyx FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A: Traceable, Flame-Retardant Composites

Purpose-built for the requirements of the aerospace, transportation and automotive industries, FR-A materials establish lot-level material traceability and pass the test suite necessary for qualification under 14 CFR 25.853 for most 3D-printable parts.

Onyx FR-A and Carbon Fiber FR-A as printed on the Markforged X7 are undergoing qualification through the NCAMP process.

Digital Forge for 3D printed aerospace tooling

JJ Churchill trusts the precision and unmatched strength of Markforged’s fiber-reinforced Onyx material. Find out how JJC and over 100+ of the world’s top manufacturers use the Markforged platform to dream bigger and accomplish more.

“Once we realized the directional strength properties available with the Markforged products, we haven’t used anything else.”
Karan Singh
Manufacturing Engineer, JJ Churchill

High-value aerospace applications

Lightweight cabin components
Brackets, harnesses, and sensor mounts
Precision inspection tooling
Workholding
Functional prototypes

Why invest in Markforged 3D printers?

Transfer tools anywhere–whether you have a single local shop or 20 global sites. With Markforged 3D printers, you can manage, control, and monitor your tools through a single, intuitive cloud platform. Once printing is initiated, minimal intervention is required, allowing for hands-off operation during production. Produce complex, lightweight tools for end-effectors using precise and reliable machines.

Meet the FX10^TM
New

Explore Materials

Talk to an Expert

Featured Aerospace Content

Application Spotlights

Cabin Management Solutions: Onyx FR Cabin Manager Unit Cover

Instead of using traditional manufacturing solutions, the Cabin Management Solutions team utilized its Markforged 3D printers to replace low-volume, high-value parts for aircrafts at lower costs and accelerated lead times.

Blog

Additive Manufacturing with Composites in Aerospace and Defense

Jordan Weininger from the Advanced Composites Office on Hill Air Force Base shares insights into DoD applications of additive manufacturing.

June 16, 2020

Aircraft Bracket Forming Tool

One of the first applications Top Flight Aerostructures found value in was forming tools. This tool — printed in Onyx reinforced with continuous fiberglass — was used in a 100 ton hydraulic press to form an edge support bracket for a C-5M Galaxy, the largest cargo plane in the American military.

Application Spotlights