An entity like the U.S. Air Force puts a tremendous amount of money and effort into keeping planes flying. Eventually, a plane will be so old that it’s not worth keeping. Older planes are often retired because their parts are no longer available and manually fabricating them is not worth the time and expense. That could change in the very near future, though.
Thanks to a partnership between Impossible Objects and the Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI), there is hope that legacy Air Force planes will stay in the air longer. The aircraft will be kept in flight by new parts fabricated from carbon fiber. Those parts will be fabricated using 3D continuous carbon fiber printers.
Carbon fiber printing has been in the works for some time now. However, it is finally coming into its own. New technology and better continuous carbon fiber make it possible to print parts in place without the need for manual fabrication or high heat curing.
Parts Made on Demand
While the Impossible Objects and UAMMI project has implications for the entire aerospace sector, it is especially important to the military. Keeping military aircraft in flight is significantly more challenging compared to commercial aircraft. Military operations cannot be restricted by traditional maintenance and repair methods.
In commercial aviation, manufacturers can provide a steady stream of replacement parts that perfectly line up with aircraft development and capacity. The same is not true in military operations. Entities like the U.S. Air Force need parts on demand, regardless of manufacturing capabilities.
Military officials eventually hope to get to the place where parts can be made in the field as needed. The plan is to have 3D printers deployed at air bases around the world so that parts are available immediately. This will keep planes in the air longer while simultaneously helping them age more gracefully.
Keeping Historical Aircraft Around
The military implications of the technology are important enough to warrant continued development. But above and beyond that, the technology will also find a home in keeping historical aircraft around. Some of the oldest airplanes in the world could be kept flying perpetually – at least in theory.
Imagine maintaining a group of World War II bombers in the modern era. A good number of parts necessary to keep these planes going just aren’t made anymore. So aircraft enthusiasts and museums have to manually make them from whatever materials they can find. Doing so is costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.
At some point in the future, it’s conceivable that traditional fabricating methods won’t be good enough. That’s where 3D printing and composites come into play. Assuming 3D printing advances far enough, it should be possible to fabricate any kind of replacement part imaginable. Who knows? Those bombers could still be flying to air shows 100 years from now.
The Right Materials and Processes
Rock West Composites, a composites provider based in Salt Lake City, Utah, says that 3D printing is all about combining the right materials and processes. A 3D printer for composites fabricating utilizes two printheads. One handles the carbon fiber while the other lays down an epoxy resin. The two combine to create a continuous flow of carbon fiber that is laid and cured in place.
We already know the basics of what 3D printing can accomplish. The goal now is to continue to develop the technology so that it is capable of printing virtually any kind of part needed. This is not as easy as it sounds. But as has been demonstrated by Impossible Objects and UAMMI, the potential is there.