意大利国防承包商Leonardohas qualifiedDesktop Metal子公司艾德罗作为其直升机的3D打印零件的供应商。
传统上，艾德罗（Aidro）是液压和流体动力系统的开发商，现在已成为获得莱昂纳多（Leonardo）宣布添加层制造过程资格的两个供应商之一。自获得认证以来，该公司已开始与莱昂纳多（Leonardo）合作为其旋翼飞机创建可飞行的零件，该阵容包括高性能的民用，帕普公共和军用直升机。
“The components we are producing for Leonardo are parts that require extensive knowledge in managing fluids and fluid power, which has always been Aidro’s main competence,” explains Aidro CEO Tommaso Tirelli. “This is a great opportunity for our company to demonstrate how end-users like Leonardo can leverage additive technologies to achieve significant weight savings and reduce the number of components.”
“We are proud to be selected by Leonardo Helicopters as a qualified supplier of 3D printed aluminum flight parts.”
艾德罗’s shift into 3D printing
Founded in 1982, Aidro is best known as a manufacturer of the hydraulic components used within the industrial, energy and aerospace sectors. Until as recently as 2017, the firm’s workflow revolved around traditional production methods, however, since adopting powder bed fusion (PBF), it has managed to achieve several design breakthroughs.
Using the technology, Aidro is now said to manufacture hydraulic valve blocks, spools, high-pressure manifolds, heat exchangers and even steel watches, while iterating their designs to improve end-performance and drive down their cost.
该公司还利用3D打印来制造特定于行业的零件，例如旋转阀引擎盖和T4/1适配器，分别满足能源，海上和航空航天客户的需求。后者是SLS而不是PBF 3D印刷，在2019年被用来帮助残疾飞行员飞行的名声，通过创建一个驾驶舱‘plug-and-fly’ control system。
在最近的事件中，艾德罗has been acquired by Desktop Metal在一项交易中，它已成为现在迅速扩展业务的全拥有子公司。去年年底，蒂雷利（Tirelli）表示，他对这笔交易感到“兴奋”，并补充说，他认为这将使他的公司“破坏大规模行业”，并在石油，天然气和航空航天工业中立足。
Leonardo’s deepening AM adoption
艾德罗（Aidro）被莱昂纳多（Leonardo）作为3D印刷零件提供商的资格，现已开始与国防承包商一起工作，该公司在航空航天环境中采用增材制造业的历史。雷电竞充值例如，在2020年，据透露，该公司使用机器人Argo 500生产系统heat and chemical-resistant carbon fiber-filled parts，同时达到减少成本和交货时间。
考虑到这一点，莱昂纳多与艾德罗（Aidro）的最新合作有效地看到了它扩大了对技术的采用，以试图在其直升机部门实现两者的整合和成本节省。尽管这两家公司尚未透露要生产的组件的确切性质，但据了解它们是由铝制成的，并且与流体电力系统的管理有关。
Given that his business has a strong background in these areas, Tirelli says the companies are not just working together on the design of such parts, but in sharing best practices, particularly when it comes to addressing high-end use-cases.
“除了支持Leonardo设计外，Aidro还与员工一起组织培训课程和知识共享，” Tirelli补充说。雷电竞充值“在如此快速变化的环境中，这种力量和持续的相互学习过程变得至关重要，能够设计，创造和重现具有高价值的产品。”
“凭借我们在意大利北部的共同根源以及团队的综合专业知识，我们真正相信莱昂纳多的天空是限制。”
用3D打印翻新旋翼飞机
As it turns out, 3D printing and scanning have been deployed several times before in the optimization, reverse engineering and production of helicopter parts. In the past, theThermwood Corporationhas used its大规模添加剂制造雷电竞充值technology to3D打印20英尺的直升机刀片模具for贝尔·德斯特朗。
在更加工业规模上，空中客车也已经开始3D printing latch shafts for A350 aircraft在德国的Donauwörth设施中。使用一个EOS M 400-43D printer, the helicopter door parts are said to be both 45% lighter and 25% cheaper than their conventional counterparts, without sacrificing on quality.
早在2020年，工程师在美国陆军航空和导弹司令部和Wichita State University甚至开始创造一个full digital twin of a Black Hawk helicopter。为此，团队旨在为飞船建立数字零件目录美国军队3D将来可以打印一些更难的源组件。
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Featured image shows Leonardo’s AW139 helicopter. Photo via Leonardo.
