In 2018, we delivered our first specialist parts for air supply ducts, including a 3D printed part for regional jets. Since then, Senior AerospaceBWT has supplied their customers with hundreds of lightweight, ready-to-fly aircraft interior parts made with FDM technology.

A member of Senior plc, SeniorAerospace BWT is a global, AS/EN/JISQ 9100:2016 certified manufacturer of ultralight, low-pressure air distribution systems for the aerospace industry. Based in Greater Manchester, UK, Senior Aerospace BWT caters to the regional jet, military, private jet and rotorcraft markets.

With over 10 years of experience in additive manufacturing, Senior Aerospace BWT began to demonstrate the commercial viability of using Stratasys FDM® 3D printing technology to produce parts for low-pressure air duct systems and aircraft interior air conditioning a few years ago.

Through a technical partnership with a printing service, SeniorAerospace BWT learned that parts made with FDM technology could replace some traditional aluminum parts.

Initial studies showed that FDM technology has great potential in terms of part weight, cost and delivery time compared to traditional aluminum manufacturing processes, and the installation setup is relatively inexpensive.

In 2018, Senior Aerospace BWT and its technology partners delivered the first air supply duct parts, including a 3D printed part for a regional airliner. This is a pitot tube made of traceable ULTEM™ 9085 resin material, which is a special design that can be realized through additive manufacturing and is connected to the duct to connect smoke detectors. Since then, Senior Aerospace BWT has started to use FDM technology and has supplied customers with hundreds of lightweight, ready-to-fly aircraft interior parts with highly complex geometries.

The successful experience with FDM technology laid the foundation for the company to further invest in in-house production. In 2019, SeniorAerospace BWT installed two Stratasys Fortus 450mc™ 3D printers at its dedicated Additive Manufacturing Equipment Center through local partner Tri-Tech3D.

After two years of intensive R&D work, SeniorAerospace BWT has achieved AS9100 certification for its products and processes. This means that the company can now quickly and cost-effectively produce certified aircraft interior sub-assemblies for top assembly to meet the needs of its customers for specific aircraft. These include aerospace OEMs for regional, military and private aircraft.

The many benefits of Statasys aerospace-grade materials are key factors in their success.

“We were won over by Stratasys’ introduction of FDM additive manufacturing with ULTEM™ 9085 resin, one of the most advanced and proven materials for flight-ready aerospace parts, and importantly, with lot traceability from part to source,” said Darren Butterworth, CEO of Senior Aerospace BWT.

BWT’s additive manufacturing team has seen significant quantifiable benefits in reducing part weight, cost and lead time compared to traditional aluminum production processes. This is particularly evident in projects involving multiple different parts, some of which may be only a few centimeters across.

In many cases, aluminum parts have minimum order quantities, so when demand is low, it is not possible to manufacture parts for aircraft in this traditional way. With additive manufacturing, BWT can utilize the full build envelope of the Fortus 450mc to print a limited number of parts on demand, minimizing inventory.

“In many cases, we are able to save up to 75% in costs by designing and producing parts on the Fortus 450mc,” said Butterworth. ”

In addition to designing and manufacturing parts in-house, our team can use 3D printers for a variety of tooling and development requirements. For these applications, Senior Aerospace uses durable polycarbonate thermoplastics and ABS materials to create strong and lightweight jigs, fixtures and other production aids on demand.

Looking to the future

With certified in-house additive manufacturing capabilities, Senior Aerospace BWT hopes to promote the use of more 3D printed parts in aircraft, making the small batch and customized production characteristics of 3D printing technology bring more benefits to customers. The company also plans to apply this technology to industries outside of aerospace, such as automotive and mobility, to expand its customer base and achieve new business growth.

Looking forward, Senior Aerospace BWT is already planning to invest in more Stratasys FDM 3D printers. A key strategic goal of the company is to use 3D printing technology to further promote product development innovation and promote long-term business growth. To achieve this, it needs to continue to explore additive manufacturing technology.