At this point it is sure that nobody is unknown that in Boeing they have taken very seriously the enormous possibilities that this type of technology can offer for the construction and repair of their aircraft. Thanks to this, for a long time they started a series of projects in order to develop and understand this new technology much better, achieving, after all this time and, as is the case, thanks to the collaboration of institutions such as OAK Ridge National Laboratory, from the United States, the Guinness Record for the largest piece.
As has been communicated, it has been possible to create, in a single piece and without any type of assembly, nothing less than a specific tool for cutting and drilling the wings of the future 777X aircraft. This piece stands out for its 5.33 meters in length, 1,67 meters in width and 0,45 meters in height, basically and as surely you are imagining, the equivalent of a utility transport vehicle.
According to the statement released jointly by both Boeing and the OAK Ridge National Laboratory, the part appears to have been manufactured from ABS thermoplastic compounds and weighs nothing less than 750 kilograms. To be able to manufacture this part in one go, those responsible for the OAK Ridge National Laboratory had to work, develop and create a specific additive manufacturing machine.
Based on the statements about this machine made by Leo Christodoulou, Director of Structure and Materials, Boeing:
The most expensive option among the metal tools that we use for the same purpose as the one manufactured here today comes from a supplier and usually takes about 3 months to manufacture using conventional techniques. Its equivalent in 3D printing takes only 30 hours to be completely ready
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