INVESTIGATION OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The aerospace industry's stringent requirements for lightweight, high-performance components with complex geometries have positioned additive manufacturing (AM) as a transformative production technology. This paper synthesizes findings from the 2010-2020 literature to investigate metal and polymer AM techniques for aerospace applications, examining process capabilities, qualification frameworks, and emerging applications. The analysis reveals that laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) have achieved Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 9 for select components, with GE Aviation certifying 12 printed parts on the Catalyst engine, replacing 855 conventionally manufactured components. SAE International's AMS-AM committee has published nine metallic AM specifications by 2019, establishing critical frameworks for material qualification and process control. Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) demonstrates particular promise for large-scale Invar36 aerospace tooling, though surface finish requirements (Ra < 0.8 μm for rocket nozzles) necessitate advanced post-processing techniques including chemical-mechanical polishing. This paper establishes quantitative correlations between AM process parameters, mechanical properties, and certification requirements for aerospace applications.