A small aircraft component became impossible to source individually. Instead of continuing to replace an entire assembly, Lufthansa Technik turned to metal 3D printing.
The problem involved a polymer latch inside roller shutter assemblies used aboard Airbus A330, A340 and A380 aircraft. The latch retains the roller brake and endcap, but repeated wear during service could damage the component.
There was another problem: the latch wasn’t available from the OEM as an individual replacement part.
That meant a failure of one relatively small component could require replacement of the entire roller shutter assembly.
Lufthansa Technik decided to create its own solution.
From Polymer to 3D-Printed Titanium
Engineers identified the original injection-molded polymer component as a strong candidate for additive manufacturing.
Instead of simply copying the original part, the component was redesigned specifically for metal 3D printing.
Lufthansa Technik selected Ti6Al4V titanium for the replacement after confirming that the material met the necessary requirements.
Materialise was selected as the production partner and qualified as a Lufthansa Technik supplier for metal additively manufactured components.
The companies worked together on manufacturing requirements, process stability and production controls before manufacturing the new component.
A Longer-Lasting Replacement
The result is a certified titanium latch with a significantly longer expected lifecycle than the original polymer component.
More importantly, maintenance teams can now replace the individual latch rather than replacing the complete roller shutter assembly.
The 3D-printed components are flight-ready, certified and already flying.
It’s a relatively small component, but it demonstrates one of additive manufacturing’s biggest advantages: producing specialized replacement parts when traditional supply chains no longer provide them.
Solving the Spare-Parts Problem
Aircraft can remain in operation for decades.
During that time, individual components can become difficult or impossible to source. Manufacturers may discontinue parts, suppliers can disappear, tooling can become unavailable or minimum production quantities can make conventional manufacturing impractical.
Additive manufacturing changes that equation.
Instead of maintaining enormous inventories of physical replacement parts, some components can potentially exist as qualified digital designs and be manufactured when required.
For low-volume aerospace components, that capability can be especially valuable.
3D Printing Is Moving Beyond Prototypes
Lufthansa Technik’s additive manufacturing operation already focuses on repairing, replacing and developing aircraft components.
The company reports that more than 2,200 aircraft parts have been developed, approved and installed through its additive manufacturing activities.
The titanium latch adds another example of how the technology is transitioning from prototyping into certified, operational aviation applications.
Small Part. Big Manufacturing Lesson.
This project demonstrates something important about the future of 3D printing.
Innovation doesn’t always mean creating an entirely new aircraft or revolutionary machine.
Sometimes innovation means identifying one small component that creates an expensive maintenance problem — and manufacturing a better version.
Unavailable part → Digital redesign → Metal 3D printing → Certified titanium replacement → Back in the air.
3DnMe — PRINT THE FUTURE
