Additive Manufacturing is transforming how companies do business and bring products to market. This week Airbus Group announced it is expanding its utilization of our 3DEXPERIENCE platform, incorporating the platform into its additive manufacturing program. Using the “Co-Design to Target” industry solution experience for collaborative design, simulation and production, Dassault Systèmes’ platform will help Airbus ramp-up its use of additive manufacturing for tooling and part prototyping, as well as parts for test flights and production use on commercial aircraft.
This expansion from Airbus is just the most recent example of the role additive manufacturing is playing in the aviation space. Aviation startups like Joby Aviation are using additive manufacturing and advanced composite materials to significant reduce the weight of its electronic aircraft. Across the industry, businesses of all sizes are using additive manufacturing to shorten production cycles from a year to months or weeks. Additive manufacturing is no longer confined to prototyping, as major airlines are using 3D printed parts for final production aircraft, such as ultra-light seats for passengers. Additive manufacturing produces a sustainability benefit as well, driven by the constant search for weight reduction. Airbus’ adoption of our simulation technologies and 3D printing to create lighter and more efficient aircraft will subsequently result in an aircraft that requires less energy to function. Furthermore, our 3D design platforms help move products such as aircraft from concept phases to its final product without using as much materials in prototype builds.
Dassault Systèmes is at the forefront of sustainable engineering and the advanced manufacturing technologies. We are proud to be members of the International Aerospace Environmental Group, leading important initiatives to establish measurement standards for aircraft carbon output as well as reducing the amount of hazardous materials that are built into aircraft. As for the manufacturing industry, we were honored to be a part of a consortium that was awarded a $70 million grant by the Department of Energy last year, presented by President Obama himself. Aircraft manufacturers have taken huge strides in developing and implemented these incredibly complex composite materials and manufacturing techniques. Here at Dassault Systèmes, we try our very best deliver the tools and platforms our customers need to fuel innovation around these cutting-edge materials.
Of the announcement, Robert Mardini, Senior VP of Engineering at Airframe, Airbus, said: “Airbus has long used Dassault Systèmes’ simulation applications to accelerate the structural analysis and virtual testing of aircraft, and now we can define a new way of designing parts by leveraging simulation-based design to better answer aviation market needs.”
Click here to read our full press release regarding the expansion of our collaboration with Airbus.
