Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of US digital manufacturer, Stratasys (Eden Prairie, Minnesota; www.stratasys.com) has been chosen by Airbus (Toulouse / France; www.airbus.com) to produce 3D-printed plastic parts for use on the "A350 XWB" aircraft.

Using Sabic’s (Riyadh / Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) flame-retardant and high-performance thermoplastic “Ultem” 9085, Stratasys will print non-structural components such as brackets and other parts used for system installation. Stratasys said the project will help Airbus achieve greater supply chain flexibility and improve cost competitiveness while also reducing material consumption and waste. This, it said, will bring tighter turnaround times and lower inventory costs.

“Our expertise in building parts ready for installation on the aircraft, along with our unique process controls and quality procedures, will allow Airbus to improve competitiveness leveraging on the technical benefits of 3D printing,” said Joe Allison, CEO of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing.

Stratasys and Airbus have worked together since 2013 to implement 3D printing using fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology for the aircraft manufacturer’s tools and flying parts applications. In 2014, the collaboration led to the qualification of Ultem 9085 for producing parts for Airbus airplanes. Stratasys said Airbus has installed thousands of FDM parts on its aircraft since 2015.