How Impactful has 3D Printing been for Boom Supersonic?

No one has best exemplified the use of 3D printing in aerospace than Boom Supersonic, as it discovered their huge impact since getting into partnership with Stratasys 2 years ago.

That partnership was further extended by 7 more years earlier this year as it began to realize the value and potential of 3D printing for rapid prototyping and manufacturing after integrating it into their workflow.

Before 3D printing, complicated aircraft parts had to be milled out of solid block materials, which were often costly, painstaking, and time-consuming. But with 3D printing in the picture, parts with complicated geometries can now be created much easily, saving precious time, money and weight in the process.

The following are some components that Boom has created with 3D printing:

Pressure Regulator Bracket

Used for mounting the component regulating the backup pressure in the nose landing gear bay hydraulics, it would have taken 6 weeks costing $2,000 if it was made with aluminum using traditional manufacturing.

But with 3D printing, it took only 9.5 hours of printing, costing a mere $70 in material.

Telemetry Connection Mount

This part served as an equipment mount during a telemetry connection verification test. Equipment was set up on Colorado’s Pikes Peak for testing, and the team confirmed that a reliable connection between aircraft and ground station could be maintained from 321 km away.

Flight Controls Test Rig

Quick and thorough safety testing of how horizontal tail actuators were deflected was enabled at very little expense with this rig. While they will not be used as flight hardware, engineers are able to ensure that the actuators worked as intended with the 3D printed rig.

Compressor Bleed Air Duct

This was utilized during engine testing to reroute air from the engine core and as a test, piece to ensure the final part fit during flight time. Parts like these would likely be de-featured if manufactured traditionally, as it requires many different pieces to gain the most effective shape.

If manufactured traditionally using aluminum, it would take roughly a month and $4,000. Using 3D printing, Boom only required 14 hours and spent just $150 on material.

Printing many parts in just a few days

This build tray is filled to the brim with over 70 completed parts fabricated with an F900 machine in just 94 hours. This single job managed to produce parts for the electrical, wing, flight controls, hydraulics, and fuselage system and helped to save thousands of dollars and weeks of lead time, as compared to conventional manufacturing methods.

With Boom so far into their additive manufacturing journey, the building of their commercial airline, Overture, is expected to get a powerful boost from the innovative ways of using 3D printing in building flight parts, tooling, and prototyping.

Learn more about our Fortus Series 3D Printers and how FDM technology works. You can also contact us via our contact form, email us at info@creatz3d.com, or call +65 6631 8555 for any further inquiries.

Source: Boom Supersonic Blog