France-based aircraft manufacturer Airbus Group has collaborated with Dassault Systèmes to use its 3DEXPERIENCE platform to Airbus’ 3D printing programmes integrating design, simulation and production.
Dassault Systèmes provides 3D design software, 3D digital mock-ups and product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions.
Under the deal, Airbus will use Dassault Systèmes’ collaborative design and simulation applications for additive manufacturing or 3D printing of tooling, prototyping and parts for test flights and for production use on commercial jets.
Airbus Group engineering airframe senior vice-president Robert Nardini said: "Numerous projects across Airbus are accelerating the use of additive manufacturing to produce prototypes as well as production components potentially delivering lighter and less expensive parts that meet technological, performance, safety and cost standards.
"Airbus has long used Dassault Systèmes’ simulation applications to accelerate the structural analysis and virtual testing of aircraft and now we can define a new way of designing parts by leveraging simulation-based design to better answer aviation market needs."
With the collaboration, Airbus will be able to digitally optimise its abstract designs by virtually validating each phase of the 3D printing process.
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By GlobalDataBy using Dassault Systèmes’ applications, Airbus also aims to explore enhanced design and manufacturing possibilities to meet the company’s engineering and manufacturing requirements for 3D printing of tools and parts.
Dassault Systèmes research and development senior executive vice-president Dominique Florack said: "Additive manufacturing creates new opportunities in many different areas such as remote fabrication for support and maintenance, rapid prototyping for realising new concepts and experiences and, perhaps most importantly, developing designs that were heretofore impossible to fabricate.
"With this approach, Airbus Group will be able to take advantage of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s next generation automated design assistant for parts, whether they are 3D printed or not, thus accelerating a new wave of transformation in the aerospace industry.
"With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we are delivering an end-to-end solution, including all engineering parameters for the additive manufacturing of parts inclusive of material science, functional specification, generative design, 3D printing optimisation, production and certification."
3D printing or additive manufacturing is an alternative to various production processes such as milling, melting, casting and precision forging.
The process has already been adopted by the aerospace industry for creative product design and prototyping, and is extending to large-scale production.
Launched in 2013, Dassault Systèmes’ Co-Design to Target solution leverages applications for 3D printing to provide highly flexible part design, production and testing in the field of aerospace and defense.
It also helps to reduce waste and costs related to the manufacturing of complex aircraft parts.
