Print & Fly

"I would never have thought that I would enjoy vacuum cleaning so much," says Adrian Führer, attaching the hose of the suction device to the machine. He taps the touchscreen. The device hums into action. Through the observation window, he watches his creation emerge from the grey dust. "It is always a great moment when the component is revealed in its full glory," he says. The industrial mechanic is responsible for the 3D printer at Liebherr-Aerospace: he sets it up for print jobs, fills it with titanium powder, prepares the laser for the computer-controlled melting of the material – and, last but not least, vacuums up the excess titanium powder. "I find 3D printing amazingly exciting. When I was asked if I wanted to work with the research team, I didn't have to think twice. I said yes straight away," says Adrian Führer.

In the Liebherr factory in Lindenberg, the 3D printer is located centrally between production, dispatch and assembly. In a production area surrounded by glass walls, at the centre of which stands the computer-controlled printing machine, which is taller than a person. A live transmission of what is currently happening in the printer is shown on a large monitor. Employees and visitors walking past frequently stop to take a look at the future of industrial production technology. In front of the printer stands a highly polished titanium component for an Airbus A320. "Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy" reads the label.

The two inventors are part of a six-person team led by Alexander Altmann, head of the Additive Manufacturing / Research & Technology project, which Liebherr launched six years ago in Lindenberg. "3D printing is a technology that is over 20 years old, but has recently experienced an enormous boom and offers exciting prospects, particularly in aircraft engineering," says Altmann. “Airbus recently flew on of our 3D printed spoiler actuator valve blocks on a flight test A380. The first-ever 3D printed primary flight control hydraulic component flown on an Airbus aircraft! The valve block offers the same performance as the conventional valve block made from a titanium forging, but it is 35% lighter in weight.”

Since the demands on aircraft components are extremely high, he and his team are primarily concerned with understanding additive manufacturing methods down to the last detail and setting up absolutely reliable production processes. "To this end, we measure and document every step, however small, in the construction of the component. Errors are not an option. There must not be even the slightest doubt as to the reliability and safety of the components and the material from which they are made."

Alexander Altmann's team has convened for a regular meeting in the conference room. André Danzig has only been in the team for a year and a half. Nonetheless, the PhD physicist is already a kind of "veteran" of additive manufacturing. Before he came to Lindenberg, he worked for a 3D printer manufacturer for over 15 years. Then one day he decided he wanted to find out more about the user side. "What does simulation tell us? How can we achieve design stability if we print not only the individual components but the entire control element, integrating all the functions at the same time?" Danzig wants to know. Stefan Hermann has already calculated all that and has also shared his ideas about it with the designer. "We will definitely achieve it," says Hermann, presenting the relevant considerations to the team.