Airbus is producing more than 25,000 flight-ready 3D-printed parts each year using Stratasys technology, reshaping aircraft production and support across its global fleet. The programme began with a spare crew seat part and has scaled to more than 200,000 certified polymer components now flying.

Recent data shows that Stratasys 3D-printed parts used on the Airbus A350 have delivered a 43 percent weight reduction, removed Minimum Order Quantity requirements and cut lead time by 85 percent, saving cost and several weeks of production time. Airbus prints parts for the A320, A350 and A400M using Stratasys ULTEM 9085 Certified Grade material on multiple industrial FDM systems.

“Stratasys’ additive manufacturing technology is an integral part of our commitment to safe and sustainable aviation,” says Serge Senac, Airbus Industrial Leader for Polymer Additive Manufacturing. “We can produce certified, repeatable parts faster, with less reliance on complex supply chains. This manufacturing flexibility reduces costs and ensures improved response times to meet the needs of our customers around the world. Last but not least, this technology contributes to Airbus’ roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”

The parts meet aerospace requirements while enabling faster and more cost-effective replacement of components throughout an aircraft. Distributed manufacturing allows production where and when parts are needed, helping reduce aircraft downtime, lower inventory storage and avoid supply chain delays.

“Our collaboration with Airbus is proof that additive manufacturing is being integrated into true production at scale, and can be a huge differentiator,” says Rich Garrity, Chief Business Unit Officer at Stratasys. “With tens of thousands of certified parts already flying, we are seeing an inflection point, not just for Airbus, but for the entire aerospace industry.”

Stratasys has decades of experience meeting aerospace standards, offering materials and platforms used for production and maintenance repair and overhaul applications across global fleets.