The 3D printing technology, which first appeared in the late 1970s, has two primary applications: rapid prototyping, CNC machining parts which takes place during the product development stage, and rapid manufacturing, which takes place during the production stage. There are a lot of parallels to be drawn between the technology of 3D printing and the process of surfacing welding, which is used in industrial production. During the molding process, this method makes use of computer-aided design (CAD) software as well as the data that is produced on a computer from 3D models.
The weight reduction effect that can be achieved by 3D printing intricate blanks for frame structures is becoming more obvious. This effect can be achieved by zinc alloy die casting supplier printing intricate blanks on a 3D printer. For example, the blank weight of the largest forged structural frame on the F-22 is 2790 kilograms; however, the weight of the blank after it has been processed is only 144 kilograms; consequently, the material removal ratio has reached 95%. Casting can complete the rough molding of some details, and the actual utilization rate of the blank can reach 20% to 25% of the total weight depending on the complexity of the casting. Casting can finish the molding of some rough details. The finished part can reach 60–70% of the total weight of the blank when surface processing technology and requirements for the quality of the material are taken into consideration. Additionally, the rate of material utilization as well as the efficiency of the machining are significantly improved as a result of these considerations.
The application of technology that enables three-dimensional printing in the aerospace industry is currently primarily focused on the production of metal structures. Components that have been printed using 3D printing have seen significant use in the aviation industry. When it comes to the process of 3D printing the load-bearing structure, LENS is the primary material that is used. The technical advantage of 3D printing is that the weight of the 3D printed blank is roughly only 15% of that of forging. Despite this, the weight reduction ratio of the blank does not represent the weight comparison of the finished product.
No matter what kind of 3D molding method is used, there will not be a discernible difference in the weight of the finished part if there is not a significant difference in the material properties of the same part. This is the case even if there is a difference in the finished part's shape. As a consequence of this, the effect of 3D printing on achieving a lower overall weight through billet processing is extremely constrained. In addition, the total weight of structural components that are aluminum alloy die casting designed in the same way as one another is significantly reduced. Be heavier. Integral forged frames are utilized extensively in the production of aircraft in the United States, and the application of high-risk 3D printing is not utilized nearly as frequently as it should be due to the factors of lifespan and the difficulties associated with quality control of finished products. This is despite the fact that it should be utilized more frequently. Because 3D printing cannot meet the batch production requirements of large-scale manufactured products, China has invested a lot of money and technical force into the development of large-scale forging presses while simultaneously using 3D printing to create load-bearing structures for the manufacturing of new machines. This is because 3D printing cannot meet the requirements of large-scale manufactured products.
The most readily apparent indicator is the decrease in aircraft weight that was brought about by the integration of aircraft structure. When compared with metal assemblies, the overall structure of curved surface reinforced wall panels has shown outstanding improvements in terms of weight reduction and reduction in the number of parts required as a result of the application of composite materials to aerospace structural parts. Aviation systems have had this as a long-term objective, and for quite some time they have been working toward the realization of the integration of structural parts. This has been a long-term goal. The benefit lies in the magnitude of the quantity. However, the use of composite materials is limited because not only are these materials costly and difficult to process, but they also present challenges when it comes to the maintenance and repair of large parts during the manufacturing process. Because of these challenges, the use of composite materials is restricted. Modern composite materials are still unable to replace metal materials in structural parts. In addition, when combined with composite materials, this technology can assist in the formation of lightweight structures for use in aviation.
Not only can the use of 3D printing help reduce the amount of material used in the production of structural components, but it can also help reduce the amount of material used in the installation of finished products and improve system layout. This is because 3D printing can help reduce the amount of material used in both processes. If the assembly that is currently most commonly used is switched out for a 3D integral part, and the high-dimensional precision selective melting method is used for molding the integral part, then it will help to improve the structural consistency, and it will also make loading and unloading more convenient. In other words, it will be a win-win situation. If the technology of 3D printing is applied to the manufacturing of composite materials, the laying of wires and resin filling can be developed from plane to three-dimensional, which can make complex structural parts of composite materials integrally formed, save the subsequent process of part bonding and co-curing, and reduce the manufacturing cycle of composite integral parts, as well as avoid the possibility of process defects in the control of combined machining processes. In addition to these benefits, the technology of 3D printing also eliminates the possibility of human error in theWhen producing the structure with 3D printing, which can produce a complex three-dimensional grid-shaped structure, the spatial size of each grid can be highly consistent. This allows for the structure to be produced.
