Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2015-04-25
Amid the increasing use of 3D printing techniques in the global industrial sector, Europe and the United States have begun using 3D printed engine parts in to test rocket and aircraft engines. China has followed suit in this regard.
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| A model of the world's first 3D printed rocket on display at an office in central London, Oct. 10, 2014. (Photo/CFP) |
Amid the increasing use of 3D printing techniques in the global industrial sector, Europe and the United States have begun using 3D printed engine parts in to test rocket and aircraft engines. China has followed suit in this regard.
According
to China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation, a research institute
under the corporation recently recorded a successful engine test in which the
engine included parts made using 3D printers, marking a breakthrough in China's
ability to produce 3D printed rocket engine parts.
In order to
address the complicated composition and high cost of engine igniters, the
institute has experimented with adopting 3D printing techniques in the process
of producing igniter enclosures, teaming up with local printing companies to
create the first batches of the 3D printed enclosures.
The success
came after a series of preparations, including extensive research into 3D
printing, hundreds of samples and ignition tests, according to Chinese website
Guancha Syndicate.
The
institute will continue to expand the application of 3D printing techniques and
use them in the production of various types of enclosures for igniters and
other engine parts, in an effort to reduce costs in engine production.
Compared
with traditional techniques, 3D printing techniques have the advantages of
lower costs and better flexibility in molding and the techniques have caught
the attention of the global aviation industry.
The use of
3D printing in the production of engine parts can meet the industry's need for
speedy production, which means a significant step forward in China's engine
design and production capabilities.
China plays
a leading role in 3D printing techniques and has invented several different
kinds of 3D printers. Such techniques have also been applied to the production
of aviation materials.
For
example, the use of high quality metal alloys can meet the needs of both the
aviation and defense industries. So far, large-sized 3D printing equipment has
been used in the defense industry, including in the production of China's
indigenous J-15 and FC-31 fighters.
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