In this investigation, sheet-metal repair parts for aircraft were produced using tooling 3D- printed on consumer-grade equipment with the most common 3D-printing filament material, polylactic acid (PLA). For certain aircraft structural repairs, it is necessary to manufacture unique, limited-use tooling to produce the sheet-metal parts required. The fabrication of this tooling is often time-consuming and expensive, increasing cost to the customer without increasing profit for the repair station. The aim of this project was to investigate the potential of consumer off-the-shelf 3D-printing technologies to reduce the drawbacks of limited-use tooling and to semi-automate its production. Two different toolsets for example repair scenarios were designed and printed. Each toolset was tested in the fabrication of aluminum sheet metal repair blanks. Both types of repair parts were successfully produced, meeting or exceeding expectations. The tooling production process, however, was lengthier and more complex than desirable. Although the production of the tooling exceeded desired time and skill expenditure, the unexpected success of part production using this method is encouraging. Further investigation may yield processes useful in real-world aircraft repair applications, or similar. As relevant technologies continue to develop, the drawbacks of this process will likely diminish greatly.
Custom Tooling for Aircraft Sheet Metal Repair Using Consumer-Grade 3D Printer and PLA
Poster Image
Poster Session
SCORE
Poster Number
A-03
Project Author(s)
Matthew A. Lloyd
Institution
Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus
Project Description