Knowing the basic physics behind automobiles and aircraft is simple: the lesser it weighs, the more fuel it saves. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, an average aircraft weighs about 369 pounds. As for fuel consumption, it varies for different models and the trips that planes make. To save as much fuel as possible, pilots and those in charge in the control centers turn to operational procedures such as reducing cruising speed and lessening the thrust reversal.

Now, 3D printed parts present a way to dramatically reduce the weight of aircraft by as much as 7 percent without having to jeopardise the aircraft’s performance. A team from the Northwestern University conducted a case study and used aircraft industry data in evaluating the lifecycle environmental effects of using 3D printed parts.

The results were industry-changing. Backed by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, the study confirmed that 3D printed parts not only decreased the weight but also lessened carbon emissions that harm the environment.

Eric Masanet, a junior professor at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering Materials and Manufacturing, headed the research and said that lightweight metal alloys are the main drivers of the study. “The airline industry is an early adopter of 3D printing. The main driver is that aircraft require specialized lightweight metal alloys that can be very costly to process,” said Masanet

The life cycle analysis found that 3D printed parts consume as little as one-third to one-half of the total energy used by conventional parts. As a result, 3D printed parts are expected to reduce fuel consumption by 6.4 percent. These numbers are quite a leap, especially for an industry that wants to save as much.

“We have suboptimal designs because we’re limited by conventional manufacturing. When you can make something in layer-by-layer fashion, those constraints diminish,” added Masanet.

Using aluminum, titanium and nickel, 3D printed parts can give manufacturers certain issues on residual stresses and repeatability. However, these problems can be fixed with further research, as in the case of Alcoa, a leading aerospace company that has just invested $22 million for a facility that will be dedicated in 3D printing research and manufacturing. Situated in the company’s space in Whitehall Michigan, the investment is in the form of Hot Isostatic Processing, or HIP, that strengthens the metallic structures of titanium and nickel 3D printed jet engine parts.

“Combined with our expansions in LaPorte, Indiana and Hampton, Virginia and our growing 3D printing capabilities, this investment will give Alcoa the broadest capabilities to deliver high-quality titanium, nickel and 3D-printed parts for the world’s best selling jet engines,” said Olivier Jarrault, executive vice president and Alcoa Group president of Engineered Products and Solutions.

Now that 3D printing titanium parts has proven to be highly beneficial for the aerospace industry, a steady supply of titanium will be needed to ensure the longevity of this new technological investment. Chile’s White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB: WMTM) is on its way to produce 112 million tonnes of high-grade rutile, a production supply that the aerospace industry can utilise. The high-grade rutile ore can be turned into titanium alloys or titanium powder, both forms of titanium widely used in this particular technology.

To contact the writer, email: vittoriohernandez@yahoo.com

RELATED STORIES