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A number of Tornado fighter jets have successfully flown using parts created through 3D printing technology.
The defense company, BAE Systems, told BBC News that the metal components were used in test flights from the firm’s airfield in Lancashire, England.
Engineers are producing the parts for four squadrons of Tornado GR4 aircrafts, the parts include protective covers for cockpit radios and guards for power take-off shafts.
It’s hoped that 3D printing could cut the Royal Air Force’s maintenance and service bill by over £1.2 million (€1.4 million) over the next four years, and some of the parts produced cost less than £100 (€120).
The head of airframe integration at BAE studios Mike Murray told the BBC that such technology would allow for greater flexibility and freedom.
You are suddenly not fixed in terms of where you have to manufacture these things. You can manufacture the products at whatever base you want, providing you can get a machine there, which means you can also start to support other platforms such as ships and aircraft carriers.
The uses for 3D printer has been growing in size. In recent months, the technology has been used to print working organs, footwear, and even food.
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This technology is going to revolutionise what manufacturers can produce. Its exciting stuff.
Definitely and it seems to be attracting big investors for obvious reasons. I wonder will we look back at 2014 and think god how did we live without 3D printing in just a few years time.
Mechano gone mad..
Plane crazy ..
This idea will never take off…
Worst joke ever !!!
I don’t understand why it is that Ireland seems to be almost ignoring the potential for 3D printing (or, more correctly, additive manufacturing)
There is an Irish company who have used one specific method (I believe they developed it themselves) using paper layering for photo-realistic 3d modelling. MCor technologies have caught major international attention and I believe are going to be providing machines to Staples.
Other technologies are more directly accessible. FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) is the most typical and probably cheapest method – Selective laser sintering and selective laser melting are much more expensive but with upcoming expiry of certain patents, expense is likely to come down there too.
How can Ireland tap into that? First, get some public funding into some FabLabs (by that I mean support the one in ROI that is in development and get 4 more going too) and, 2nd, get some 3D printers into schools where DCG students can develop skills.
It’s a major growth industry for a lot of reasons, not least because of large reductions in waste. To that end, there will be growth in jobs for 3D designers. Perfect for DCG students.
Only a few years left for the Tornado GR4. Catch one at an airshow if you can!
Agreed.
It’s the bone shaking noise of two afterburners…you can’t beat that!
Compared to the latest American hardware the Tornado looks like a clapped out old banger,but the british do manage to get extended life with far less resorces, and better value for money.
Yes the Mustang was a great aircraft.
Wait until Ryan Air hear this, they’ll start printing full on planes
I wonder if there will be faster printers able to print off 3-D Bomb Shelters
for the poor misfortunes that happen to be under the path of these murder machines?
I’m sorry but what???
Run that by us again Phil.
‘Defence’ not ‘defense’.
Brings a whole new meaning to just in time manufacturing. Still don’t agree with the American guy providing schematics for 3D printed parts for a firearm freely on the internet.
That’s an entirely different issue.
the website “howstuffworks” also has an animation of how a revolver works. People linking such things to valuable new technologies is short sighted – we have lathes and mills already and these would be far more practical tools to use than a 3d printer.
Look at the gun, it is an absolute heap of crap that if someone had wanted to design or use could have done it themselves.
That said, it is only a matter of time before someone with a good 3D printer will put up the plans for a AK47 etc and people will print it in metal. That is readily done if you are so inclined.
Cornell University took cells mixed with a jell and printed a human ear, an ear that started grow its one cartiledge. Another Uni. has stated printing work replicating the human liver.
All doable with current models and they are improving rapidly.
The most revolutionary invention since electrification.
http://listverse.com/2013/06/02/10-incredible-things-you-can-make-with-3d-printers/
The technology should not be blamed for it’s application.
Before 3d printing the nuclear bomb was invented. Technology has no sense of morality and 3d printing wasn’t invented to create weaponry. Just like mills weren’t invented for similar work.
That said, it is only a matter of time before someone with a good 3D printer will put up the plans for a AK47 etc and people will print it in metal. That is readily done if you are so inclined.
And of course every drug dealer and terrorist and gang banger will go off to learn CAD,and invest in a 350 thousand dollar lazer metallic powder printer to print out an AK47 that costs about 4 thousand dollars on the black market new in the grease.
Well done Simon, someone who knows something….
I heard these printers will be in everyone home in the next 10 years – expensive at first, but they’ll be like the computers were in the last few decades. Imagine, waking up and needing a new pair of socks… So you just print one out :)
Plastic and metal socks??
No, different materials will be able to be used
Could print some knitting needles and then a sheep, and use them to make socks.
Don’t be so idiotic
Don’t know about Socks but 3d Printers will be common place in a decade and will be as revolutionary as the Internet was to modern life.
Your car dealership printing a replacement part rather than ordering it etc.
The designs and template of a product being like software more valuable than the manufacturing process, as that will be done locally.
People printing their own prosthetic legs, glassware, one Professor in America built a giant printer and printed a 25,000 ft house in 20 hours.
In years to come everyone will have a manufacturing tools at home that surpasses anything we have now, that is revolutionary.
What if you got a 3d printer and printed a 3d printer?
Sean. Already done.
The software and hardware are being crowd sourced online and are developing quiet impressively.
Like the only machine that reproduce a lathe is another lathe in the last century.
Well,at least it will push on the development of the inert gas car engine.the one that will super ceed the electric and hydrogen engine.Wont even need another complex device,the gearbox.
There is a big question around 3d printing wrt them being in everyone’s homes.
It’s actually quite hard to make them maintenance free. Also, you can’t 3d print a word doc so people to some extent need to be 3d designers in Ider to truly use them.
My paper plane cost ….2.99 divided by 500 (could not be bothered).Apart from a few design problems eg. where to seat a pilot,mount various machine guns and rockets and include a serious of basic controls ,Is clearly just as good as this 3g yoke…..Honestly it takes a woman to make real economic sense when it come to toys for the boys and weapons of mass destruction and all that.
Scientists announce that they will be able to bio print an entire human heart within a decade on 3D printers.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-11/21/3d-printed-whole-heart
Print food ???? Explain that one?
Google is your friend.
I don’t know what the big deal is i made a paper aeroplane in school 20 years ago…..
We should print plastic houses… even organs are being printed. Its amazing. You can look it up in TED
The plastic houses idea… just like the complete cnc mill house idea is only a showcase of what the materials/tech can do and a study of where it is best suited.
No single process will be the most appropriate for a house or any complex product.
£699 from Maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/velleman-k8200-3d-printer-kit-n82qg
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