{"id":1477,"date":"2016-06-22T05:15:52","date_gmt":"2016-06-22T10:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planesintheair.com\/?p=1477"},"modified":"2016-06-24T21:23:42","modified_gmt":"2016-06-25T02:23:42","slug":"3d-printer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planesintheair.com\/?p=1477","title":{"rendered":"3D printer technology creates 2017 Ford GT and Airbus plane"},"content":{"rendered":"

3D printer<\/strong> creates 2017 Ford GT. Hailed as the marvel of the future, 3D printing has mostly been used for\u00a0generating prototype units.\u00a0Despite the\u00a0slow start, the machines are starting\u00a0to make their way into more production\u00a0environments. A\u00a0recent survey showed that almost 30% of companies said they were experimenting with the technology. An\u00a0additional\u00a025% said they were using 3D printer technology for prototyping only, and\u00a010% said they were using it for prototyping and production.\u00a0Global 3D printer markets are expected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2013 to $16.2 billion in 2018, representing an\u00a0annual growth rate of 45.7%.<\/p>\n

Two\u00a0of the leaders in using 3D printing are the aerospace and automotive industries.\u00a0General Electric used 3D printing to fabricate\u00a0complex metallic parts for their next-generation GE9X and Leap aircraft engines.\u00a0Car manufacturers are also\u00a0big supporters\u00a0of 3D printing technology. The\u00a0automotive\u00a0industry spends lots of\u00a0time and money on developing multiple prototypes. Refining their designs until they get every\u00a0last detail\u00a0just right is a key to their success. 3D\u00a0technology has\u00a0become an integral part of the production process at Ford.\u00a0Recently revealing\u00a0the 2017 Ford GT, it was created\u00a0using a series of prototypes to perfect the cars interior design.\u00a0Perfections include the cars\u00a0F1 style steering wheel and\u00a0integrated paddle shift\u00a0transmission controls. A\u00a0race car version of the new Ford GT is scheduled to compete in next years FIA World Endurance Championship.<\/p>\n

\"3d<\/p>\n

Image from\u00a0http:\/\/3d.ford.com.<\/p>\n

3D printer creates Airbus flying plane<\/h2>\n

Commercial airplane manufacturer Airbus saves millions of dollars a year using 3D printer technology. Savings come from\u00a0a reduction in the gross weight of parts produced by the technology. Reduced weight also translates into a reduction in\u00a0fuel costs for its aircraft operators. Airbus is planning to expand\u00a0the use of its 3D printing technology\u00a0to reduce their aircrafts weight even more. Airbus has\u00a0plans to one day build an airplane completely fabricated with\u00a03D technology.<\/p>\n

Airbus showed off its advanced 3D printer technology\u00a0earlier this month at the Berlin Air Show. It Flew its\u00a0THOR 13 foot long model airplane, which had been\u00a0completely\u00a0fabricated\u00a0with\u00a03D printed parts. THOR, short for “Test High-tech Object Reality”, is a small\u00a0concept aircraft model weighing in at just 50 pounds.\u00a0It took just\u00a0four weeks to print and build the plane, which follows the shape of a \u00a0current commercial airliner. If the dreams at Airbus come true, this plane may eventually\u00a0become the first in a line of future generation airliners.<\/p>\n

You can view a YouTube video of\u00a0Airbus 3D printing technology below:<\/p>\n