Digital validation for 3D printed aerospace plastics
November 01, 2021
Using Hexagon’s Digimat modelling software, engineers will now be able to predict how parts printed with Stratasys’ ULTEM 9085 filament should behave when made using approved Stratasys printers. The two companies jointly created a virtual material model through physical testing that includes detailed information about the material’s internal microstructure. It’s claimed that the new tool could help customers reduce part testing and validation from two-to-three years to as little as six months.
“The aerospace industry is continuously pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation, but current confidence in the performance of additive manufactured parts is mostly limiting its application to highly specialised metal parts,” said Guillaume Boisot, head of ICME, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division.
“We are excited that this new development in our partnership with Stratasys will help compress the design and testing phases and improve understanding of plastic behaviour and speed up innovation across the sector.”