APWORKS has previously looked at the potential of metals AM, now it is looking to certify aerospace components
APWORKS, a subsidiary of Premium Aerotec and part of Airbus, is moving its base to the new Additive Industries Process & Application Development Center on the aerospace campus in near Bristol, UK.
Previously located in Munich, Germany, the switch signals the next stage in the company’s development and collaboration on series production of certified applications for the aerospace industry.
APWORKS CEO Joachim Zettler, explained: “We believe metal additive manufacturing will continue to evolve into a mature fabrication technology and prove to be able to compete with conventional processes like casting, machining and powder metallurgy.
“In the next years we expect this market to continuously and rapidly grow and especially in the aerospace industry, new airplanes and aero-engines will contain a substantial number of parts that are additively manufactured.”
A key activity will be the further qualification and certification of aerospace parts in nickel based alloys like Inconel 718, shifting the company’s focus from prototyping to series production.
The move is also a bonus for 3D printer manufacturer Additive Industries, for who APWORKS was its first customer and extensively tested its MetalFAB1 Beta system since March 2016, with the technology set to continue to be used.
