TAGS: 3D Printing
Part Design & Manufacturing
Metal Replacement
The UAMMI and ElectraFly have teamed up to create 3D printed carbon fiber aircraft parts for the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market. UAMMI will use the CBAM technology to begin printing parts for ElectraFly.
CBAM Technology for Lightweight Parts
The CBAM technology uses carbon fiber sheets and thermoplastic materials for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) components production under heat and pressure, similar to compression molding. The resulting CFRP parts are half the weight of aluminum but have comparable strength to weight ratios.
The CBAM printer is ideal for manufacturing parts for Urban Air Mobility aircraft because the technology of layering composites ensures strong, lightweight composite parts and the digital agility of building different part families on-demand.
Using lightweight 3D printed advanced materials will be essential to meet the manufacturing requirements for Urban Air Mobility aircraft industry.
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We are thrilled that UAMMI and ElectraFly wil be using this technology to manufacture parts for their new innovative UAM vehicle and are excited to see the results,” Jeff DeGrange, chief commercial officer, Impossible Objects added.
Replacing the Vehicles Metal Gears
The UAMMI and ElectraFly team will begin working on the project immediately with the first objective to replace the vehicles metal gears with composite fabricated parts. Additional parts will be added to the program and manufactured over time.
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There is an undeniable movement happening in air transportation, but there are problems in efficiency. Teaming with UAMMI to transition our complex metal parts to lightweight 3D printed composite parts will support our innovations and help expand our operations here in Utah,” said John Manning, co-founder of ElectraFly.
Source: UAMMI