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Trumpf: Driving aerospace adoption
Trumpf: Overcoming barriers to the adoption of Additive Manufacturing in the aerospace sector Additive Manufacturing is arguably the ideal production method for numerous aerospace applications, particularly where lightweighting and part consolidation are concerns – yet no other industry takes such a cautious approach to embracing new manufacturing methods and imposes so many hurdles on the path to certification. In this article, Germany’s Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG tracks the production journey of one part for Spain’s Ramem S.A., as well as looking at further cases from the aerospace industry.
Safety is the highest priority in the aerospace industry. That’s why it takes such a long time for new manufacturing methods to reach the shop floor, even though companies are constantly searching for new ways to cut high material costs and reduce component weight. The industry’s cautious approach to fully embracing the promise of Additive Manufacturing therefore comes as little surprise – and only the most tenacious efforts to drive its adoption are likely to be successful. Headquartered in Ditzingen, Germany, Trumpf enjoys a trusted reputation in the aerospace industry. As a leading producer of machine tools and lasers for industrial manufacturing, the company produces a number of Additive Manufacturing systems, including machines based on Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) technology, which the company refers to as Laser Metal Fusion (LMF), ranging from the compact TruPrint 1000 to the larger scale TruPrint 5000. Also available is Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology, which can be applied with the machines TruLaser
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Cell 3000 and TruLaser Cell 7040. In providing both L-PBF and LMD technology from one source, Trumpf is able to offer its customers suitable technologies for a wide range of applications in the aerospace industry. In addition to its machines, the company provides a complete solution comprising digitalisation and servicing.
Aerospace case study: rakes Spanish supplier Ramem S.A. specialises in the design and manufacture of mechanical and electromechanical devices. Headquartered in Madrid, it produces a wide variety of parts, including aerospace components with complex geometries and sophisticated technical requirements.
Fig. 1 Trumpf’s TruPrint 1000 L-PBF machine
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