3D列印技術，就像疊蛋糕一樣，是將金屬粉末一層層堆疊，再用雷射熔融固定，最後印製出成品。這種方法屬於「加法製程」，不同於傳統「減法」製程—過去通常是用工具機切削金屬，來打造所需的形狀。
為了讓飛機更輕量化，以前需要用鉚釘組裝、不能焊接的部位，現在可以直接用3D列印製成一體成型的零件，不但提升結構強度，也能有效減輕重量。3D列印製作的飛機零件，可以減輕原本40%到60%的重量，且不影響功能性，同時在設計和工程上也更有彈性。
傳統製造需要開模具，花費大量時間與成本。而3D列印能直接印出少量多樣的產品，大大簡化流程。像航太引擎大廠GE，原本製造引擎噴射器需要超過十套模具，現在用3D列印一次成型，不僅節省時間，也大幅降低成本。這也是為什麼大家都看好3D列印在高附加價值的航太領域大有可為。
美國波音公司與橡樹嶺國家實驗室（Oak Ridge National Laboratory）合作，創下了全球最大3D列印物品的紀錄。這項技術將用於下一代波音777X客機的機翼製造。傳統製程需要30天，使用3D列印只要30小時，大幅縮短了生產時間。除了效率提升，波音還希望透過3D列印降低成本。以波音787客機為例，因為使用大量鈦合金材質，製造成本高昂。而3D列印鈦合金零件，預估每架787客機能節省200萬到300萬美元。
歐洲的空中巴士同樣積極投入3D列印技術。他們在A350客機上已使用超過1000件3D列印零件，不僅符合航空安全標準，也大幅降低生產時間與成本。在柏林航展上，空中巴士甚至展示了一架全3D列印的小型飛機，且能真正飛行。這是一次重要的技術實驗，未來有望擴大應用於商用飛機製造。
飛機的心臟—引擎，也開始運用3D列印製作。例如噴油嘴、壓縮機葉片、渦輪葉片這類形狀複雜、要求精密的零組件，透過3D列印不僅能一體成型，還能減少零件數量，提升整體效能。
在澳洲，研究人員成功製造出全球首具3D列印飛機引擎，這項突破預示未來可以更快、更便宜地生產更輕盈、省油的飛機，也引起波音和空中巴士等大型製造商的高度關注。
此外，3D列印技術也被應用在太空領域。美國NASA已經在國際太空站進行3D列印試驗，未來若推行順利，太空人在探索深空任務中，能靠3D列印自行製作與修復零件，不再依賴地球補給，探索更遠的星球將成為可能。
飛機零件越來越追求輕量化，3D列印正逐漸成為航太工業的重要利器。隨著材料技術進步，未來將會有更多高強度金屬應用於3D列印，帶來更多可能。
-
Introduction to 3D Printing in Aerospace
3D printing is kind of like stacking layers of a cake. You take metal powder, build it up layer by layer, and then use a laser to melt and fuse it together into a finished part. This is called "additive manufacturing," which is pretty different from the old-school way of making things — where you cut pieces out of a big chunk of metal.
In the past, making planes lighter meant piecing parts together with rivets because welding wasn’t always possible. Now, with 3D printing, you can create a single solid part instead. This makes the structure stronger and cuts down a lot of weight — sometimes by 40% to 60% — without hurting how the part works. Plus, it gives designers way more freedom to get creative.
Normally, making airplane parts means spending tons of time and money on making molds. But with 3D printing, you can skip all that and just print the parts directly — even if you only need a few. For example, GE used to need over ten different molds just to make one engine fuel nozzle. Now they just 3D print it all at once, saving a lot of time and money. That’s a big reason why 3D printing is getting so popular for high-value industries like aerospace.
Boeing, together with Oak Ridge National Lab, actually set a world record by 3D printing the largest object ever. They’re planning to use this tech to build parts of the new Boeing 777X wings. The old way took about 30 days — now it can be done in just 30 hours! Besides being faster, Boeing also hopes it’ll save money. For instance, the Boeing 787 uses a lot of expensive titanium. By 3D printing the titanium parts, they could save $2 to $3 million per plane.
Over in Europe, Airbus is using 3D printing too. Their A350 planes already have more than 1,000 3D-printed parts that meet all the strict safety rules — and it’s saving them a ton of time and cash. They even showed off a small plane made entirely by 3D printing at the Berlin Air Show — and yes, it actually flies! It’s just a test for now, but it shows how this technology could change how we build real commercial planes in the future.
Even airplane engines — the heart of the plane — are getting 3D-printed. Complex parts like fuel nozzles, compressor blades, and turbine blades are now being printed as one solid piece. That means fewer parts, better performance, and easier maintenance.
In Australia, researchers made the world’s first 3D-printed jet engine. It’s a big deal because it shows we can make future planes faster, cheaper, lighter, and more fuel-efficient — and it’s catching the attention of giants like Boeing and Airbus.
3D printing is also making its way into space. NASA has already tested 3D printers on the International Space Station. If everything goes well, astronauts could someday make or fix tools and parts right up there, without having to wait for supplies from Earth. That could help us go even farther into deep space!
As planes keep pushing for lighter and stronger parts, 3D printing is becoming a must-have technology in aerospace. And as material science keeps getting better, we’ll probably see even stronger metals used for 3D printing — unlocking even more possibilities in the future.
