Boeing is actively using 3D printing in the manufacture of spare parts for its aircraft.

3D printing is developing very actively - just look at the patents in this area, and it will become clear that soon 3D printers and their derivatives will appear everywhere. The number of patents filed in the field of 3D printing over the past few years has increased by several hundred percent. However, many of these patents are sponsored by Fortune 500 companies. In addition, many companies already use 3D printing in their daily work.

For example, now such giants as Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin already widely use 3D printing, but very few people know how popular this practice has become.

For example, Boeing, for example, applied for a patent in the field of 3D printing, planning to replace thousands of spare parts with files for a 3D printer. So, if necessary, the necessary spare part, part, will be printed in a matter of minutes, instead of looking for the necessary part in the storerooms. But the plane consists of tens of thousands of parts, and for many of them it is necessary to store spare parts.
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In this case we are talking about saving time, money and space in warehouses. As soon as the backup is needed, we search for the required model file in the files archive, send it to the printer, we get the required part. As for the company's patent, with its help, the company is going to get rid of the need to keep in store rooms more than 30 thousand parts, using the indicated principle instead.

Already, Boeing is using this method, though not for 30,000 parts, but for now only for 300. If something is needed, such a spare part is quickly printed. According to the company's representatives, about 20 thousand plastic parts printed on a 3D printer are already being used in their aircraft. The patent assumes even more - the possibility of printing parts not only from plastic, but also from metal, alloys and some other materials is mentioned. Other methods are used. For example, the F / A-18 Super Hornet design includes about 150 parts created using selective laser sintering technology.

The likelihood that current technologies will allow Boeing to print not only plastic parts, but also parts from other materials is not too great. Nevertheless, the fact that there is enough to quickly create and replace one of the 20,000 parts in the Boeing aircraft.