DRAMA in aerospace supply chain

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is leading a £15m project to encourage the UK’s aerospace industry to adopt additive manufacturing into its supply chain.

Additive manufacturing – 3D printing – produces, amongst other things, major parts for aero engines, and the MTC’s Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace (DRAMA) will bring together the most comprehensive combination of equipment and capability to support that process.

MTC, which is based near Coventry, is home to the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM)  which can provide suppliers with the facility to test products and processes in a virtual additive manufacturing space. Additive manufacturing technologies are now being increasingly demanded by the country’s prime aerospace manufacturers.

Dr Katy Milne, who leads the DRAMA project at the MTC said: “The importance of additive manufacturing to the UK aerospace industry cannot be overstated. It has the potential to revolutionise design approaches and component manufacturing. There are more than 4,000 companies involved in the aerospace industry in the UK, and additive manufacturing offers the biggest opportunity since the introduction of composites. Aerospace manufacturers are increasingly demanding reduced weight, reduced cost and higher performing parts, so for those suppliers who don’t keep up with the technology, it could be a significant threat.”

Funding for DRAMA comes from Innovate UK, supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute, with additional input from the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, the National Physical Laboratory and Birmingham University.

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