14 DAY TRIAL // Additive manufacturing techniques have been used for two or three decades, but only sparingly, and only in recent years has 3D printing technology become something that the general public is aware of.
For the most part, 3D printing techniques have been restricted to low-risk applications, but that's been changing.
One of the biggest breakthroughs was the 3D printed LEAP engine, which successfully carried an airplane into the sky.
Engine parts are a critical component in aircraft, and any machine actually. That 3D printing technology can be used to make them, and even improve the results and time to market, is remarkable.
Remarkable enough for Alcoa to start using such techniques in the making of its own jet engines.
Since the company is a major presence in the world's packaging, consumer electronics, commercial transport, construction and automotive markets, you can be sure that additive manufacturing will go far under its auspice. Alcoa even has a finger in the oil and gas and defense industries.
Currently, Alcoa makes jet fan blades in a year or so (from design to completed product), but 3D printing can cut the time to a mere 25 weeks, thanks to 3D model creation. That's half the time.
Add to that a 25% reduction in costs and there is no way Alcoa would have remained blind to the possibilities for long.