After arduous exploration and trial, China has made many breakthroughs in the research and development of 3D printing technology and industrial application. Many new achievements have given people a new understanding of 3D printing.


Not long ago, a "3D printer" was carried on the test ship of the new generation manned spacecraft launched by the long march 5B rocket. During the flight, the system independently completed the sample printing of continuous fiber reinforced composite materials and verified the scientific experiment goal of 3D printing of composite materials in microgravity environment. This is the first time that China has carried out orbit 3D printing test, and also the first time that the world has realized space 3D printing of continuous carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The above achievements are indeed exciting. As early as a few years ago, 3D printing has been applied in the aviation field. In fact, the demand for rapid manufacturing of complex precision components, the demand for cost reduction and efficiency increase of expensive materials, the demand for lightweight heavy materials, and the demand for material strength in the aerospace field are all calling for new manufacturing technologies and concepts.

3D printing has many significant advantages, which can better meet the requirements of product manufacturing in the aerospace field, so it shines in this field. The advantages of 3D printing technology in the aerospace field mainly include the following aspects: reducing costs, rapid prototype verification, improving design freedom, improving product manufacturing efficiency, etc.

Advantages of 3D printing in aerospace field

① Rapid prototype verification, rapid iteration, manufacturing turbine blades with traditional process, during which the mold needs to be opened, and it takes about half a year from design to manufacturing; And using additive technology can quickly achieve iteration within one month.

② Improve the degree of freedom of design. In the past, components with very complex design were difficult to manufacture, or the cost was very high, or even could not be manufactured at all. Using additive manufacturing process, highly complex two-dimensional or three-dimensional metal parts can be produced in a relatively simple way, which is a feasible way to form a structural part composed of solid and grid parts as a whole.

③ To reduce the cost, it does not need molds, and can quickly carry out some manufacturing. In addition, it is repair. Maintenance is a big problem for civil aviation. To reduce the cost, the cost can be reduced by one fifth by adding materials, such as integral blade disc, blade, etc.