AIRBUS BUYS 3D SYSTEMS UNIT FIRM SELLS STEREOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEMS.

Byline: Daily News

VALENCIA - The United Kingdom's Airbus has purchased stereolithography systems from Valencia-based 3D Systems Corp. to produce components for wind-tunnel testing at its operations in Filton, Bristol.

The purchase of an SLA 7000 system will be used to create larger models with tighter tolerances and high-quality surface finish in the wind tunnel.

``My background for the last five years has been on the test side where we are always under pressure to meet deadlines,'' said Martin Aston, wind-tunnel domain manager for Airbus.

``We were already using 3D Systems technology through a third-party service bureau and were aware of some of the advantages of stereolithography.''

The 3D system, which builds three-dimensional models from computer input, will help Airbus produce models more quickly, improving testing for aerodynamics.

``We now try designs we never would have done before because we have the technology on-site,'' Aston said. ``Effectively we can think of an idea, put it on the system to build overnight or over a weekend and test it the next day. If the design doesn't work, we just repeat the process. To do that through a service bureau would be almost impossible as the typical turnaround time is four days.''

Airbus has started experimenting with models never though possible. Producing plastic models using the SLA system enables Airbus to cater for all of the shapes and curves of aircraft components. Geometric form and dimensional stability have been improved, which means the test data are more accurate.

By having the technology on-site, a deeper understanding of the process has been invaluable. This knowledge allows the project coordinator to define and control specific attributes of the geometry by understanding the technology. They can then communicate these constraints with the operator and part quality can be maintained.

``We have so much more control over the design process now,'' Aston said. ``This not only leads to cost savings but means that we control the priority and error time.''

The Airbus wind tunnels carry out testing to provide data as part of the aerodynamic design process for all Airbus aircraft. The wind-tunnel domain includes sites at Filton, near Bristol, Toulouse in France, Getafe in Spain and Bremen in Germany.