Emirates Uses SLS 3D Printing For Supply Chain Efficiency

Safety first: materials matter

Although Emirates was extremely interested in taking advantage of 3D printing for all the benefits additive technology offers, they laid out the material and certification requirements that needed to be met for final 3D printed parts to pass inspection and be incorporated in the aircraft cabin.

Using 3D Systems flame retardant 3D printing nylon material, Emirates were no longer bound by injection moulding design rules and able to optimise their designs to create fit-for-purpose parts with an optimised strength-to-weight ratio.

The nylon material also passes AITM smoke density and toxicity requirements and has a UL certification for consumer goods.

Designing fit-for-purpose parts: Video monitor project

Emirates were keen to explore the 3D printing production process for a video monitor shroud. But without pre-existing CAD data, Emirates enlisted help from 3D scanning technology to collect point cloud data, and Geomagic Design X – reverse engineering software.

Because the final part would be 3D printed, the design was no longer constrained by the need to adhere to draft angles and consistent thicknesses. This enabled a number of design improvements over the original part.

Using SLS 3D printing technology, it offered Emirates lighter components, faster manufacturing, and the ability to produce multiple parts at the same time.

When reviewing the broader supply chain, the team at Emirates saw potential cost advantages now they could cut that supply chain into a software file that’s hosted in a virtual warehouse. In environments like the airline industry where maintaining large volumes of stock for every individual cabin component is part of standard operating procedure and cost, relocating warehouse aisles to file names is an incredible opportunity.