Russia to start full-scale use of 3D printing to make aircraft parts

Recently, Rostec announced that its Additive Technology Center has been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation to conduct mass 3D printing production of aerospace components and other spare parts
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This means that the Russian aviation industry will begin to fully use 3D printing to manufacture aircraft parts
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According to the Russian "Satellite News Agency", the person in charge of the additive technology center said that after obtaining the permission of the government department, the company can mass-produce civil passenger aircraft and military aircraft parts through 3D printing, which is an important node in the development of Russia's aviation manufacturing industry.

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The person in charge also said that 3D printing could reduce the production time of certain aerospace components from six months to three weeks
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At the same time, 3D printed parts are not only stable in performance, but also lighter in weight and higher in reliability, which can effectively improve aircraft load and optimize flight performance
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Currently, the Additive Technology Center is the largest 3D printing equipment company in Russia, with 41 3D printing machines capable of printing 450 aviation parts
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3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a technology that builds objects by layer-by-layer printing based on digital model files, using bondable materials such as powdered metal or plastic
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This technology enables the production of complex structural components that were previously constrained by traditional manufacturing processes and could not be realized
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According to reports, the Additive Technology Center of the Russian State Technology Group has begun to use 3D printing to produce PD-35 engine parts
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The research and development of the PD-35 engine began in 2016 and is planned to be mass-produced in 2028.
This high-thrust aero-engine is mainly used for the CR929 wide-body passenger aircraft
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The production of PD-35 engine parts through 3D printing will help to speed up the research and development of this type of engine, shorten the research and development cycle, and ensure that the product can be put into production faster
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Not only that, the advantages of 3D printing are fully reflected in the manufacturing process of the PD-35 engine
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Such as lighter engine weight, more power, higher performance components, more cost-effective and so on
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At present, 15% of the components on the Russian VK-650V and VK-1600V helicopter engines are produced by 3D printing
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Among them, the VK-650V engine is used for the Ka-226 helicopter and the Ansat-U helicopter, and the VK-1600V engine is mainly used for the Ka-62 multi-purpose helicopter
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The application of 3D printing technology simplifies the component manufacturing process, reduces the weight and life cycle cost of the engine, and helps to improve the performance of the two helicopters
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