Oerlikon and Lufthansa to print aircraft components

Swiss technology group Oerlikon and German airline Lufthansa have entered into a partnership that will see them combine their expertise to establish new additive manufacturing (AM) processes and standards in the aerospace industry.

Their objective is to develop repeatable processes on multiple machines in multiple locations in an effort to help drive the industrialization of 3D printing in this sector. According to an Oerlikon statement, 3D printing has the potential to make maintenance and repair of aircraft more efficient and flexible, which in turn will speed up processes and reduce costs.

“We see the partnership with Oerlikon’s AM team as an exciting opportunity to accelerate Lufthansa Technik’s plan of having local AM repair capabilities on a global scale,” said Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel, vice president of engine services at Lufthansa Technik.

The study results of the new partnership will be shared with relevant industry bodies to support defining standards for the qualification and approval of aircraft components. The partnership is for a one-year period but may be extended to other models of printers as more data on manufacturing processes is collected.