Western Tool & Mold adopts Stratasys 3D printing for aircraft interiors

Scott Sevcik, head of Stratasys’ aerospace, defense and automotive solutions, (on left) congratulates Collin Wilkerson, managing director of Western Tool & Mold on his company’s purchase of the Stratasys Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution.

The 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company Stratasys’ recently launched Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors (AI) Certification Solution has been adopted by parts supplier Western Tool & Mold (WTM) to produce aircraft cabin components that meet FAA and EASA certification requirements.

Hong Kong-based WTM serves the aerospace interiors market where airlines demand quick turnaround of replacement parts to improve supply chain efficiency, but are often challenged due to the unique geometries of individual components.

“Adding the Stratasys Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors Certification edition to our extensive arsenal of Stratasys FDM and PolyJet-based 3D printing solutions not only gives us the opportunity to provide repeatable, certified aircraft parts to tier 1 and tier 2 aircraft parts suppliers but also the accompanying documentation process is now automated – making it easier to meet evolving industry quality standards while freeing up more time to invest in production,” said Collin Wilkerson, managing director of Western Tool & Mold. “The Stratasys Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution will allow us to work with our customers early in their design and development process and help be more agile than our competition in responding to customer requests.”

The Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution consists of ULTEM 9085 resin, which is a strong, lightweight thermoplastic meeting aerospace flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) regulations (FAR 25.863), and a new edition of the Fortus 900mc production 3D printer with specialized hardware and software designed to deliver highly repeatable mechanical properties.

Western Tool & Mold is now using the Stratasys technology to 3D print aircraft cabin parts with complex geometries and low-quantity demand such as first-class overhead bin lockers and lavatory components. By 3D printing these parts directly from CAD designs, bypassing metal manufacturing processes, WTM’s customers can test parts early in the design process and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in manufacturing costs.

“We are gratified that one of our long-standing customers, Western Tool & Mold, will be using the Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution to improve supply chain efficiency for Asia’s aviation industry. This solution minimizes the obstacles that have impeded the wider adoption of 3D printing for aircraft cabin parts – addressing the key issues of repeatability, certification, and documentation,” said Omer Krieger, president, Stratasys Asia Pacific and Japan. “In addition to providing lightweight, durable parts according to stringent specifications, Stratasys 3D printing enables these parts to be customized according to the airlines’ brand design – affording new opportunities to reinforce corporate messaging inflight.”