3D Printing Aircraft Landing Gear And Repairing Titanium Blades
Aug 11, 2025
Aircraft landing gear is a component subject to significant stress. To withstand these high-stress environments, these parts are forged from high-strength steel. However, since the advent of titanium alloys, aircraft landing gear has gradually shifted to titanium alloy forgings. Titanium alloys offer both high strength and low density, reducing mass by over 25%-critically important for aircraft. The titanium alloy used in aircraft landing gear is Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al, with a tensile strength of 1190 MPa, almost 2.2 times that of 7075 aluminum alloy. Many landing gear components on the Boeing B777 are forged from this alloy. The Ti-6Al-2Sn-2Zr-2Mo-2Cr alloy, also used in landing gear, offers high strength and toughness, but is relatively expensive. Furthermore, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, commonly used in forging helicopter landing gear components, is the most widely used titanium alloy in aerospace and general equipment applications. While it is relatively affordable, its strength and performance are lower than those of the aforementioned titanium alloys. Aircraft engine blades operate under extremely demanding conditions, facing not only high temperatures but also high pressure and high-velocity airflow. Operating in this harsh environment, these blades are extremely susceptible to damage, particularly at the blade tips, making maintenance a significant undertaking. According to a September 15, 2023, Aviation Weekly website, Optomec and Acme Robotics Systems (ACME) jointly developed a world-first automated work cell for repairing titanium alloy compressor blades for aircraft engines over a two-year period to reduce maintenance workload and extend blade life. The system is primarily designed to repair titanium alloy compressor blade tips that have worn during engine operation, but it can also repair damage to nickel-based alloy blade tips and leading edges. The automated work cell consists of three stations capable of performing blade tip grinding, 3D printing laser cladding, and post-processing. It includes an automated pallet loading and unloading station, a pallet turning station, and a robotic material handling system. It can also be equipped with other features, such as an automated coordinate measuring machine and a cleaning station. OptoMech says its automated work cell offers a number of advantages over traditional titanium blade repair processes, such as CNC machining and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. Blade finishing is approximately three to four times faster than CNC machining or manual finishing; repair quality is more consistent compared to manual processes; and costs are reduced by over 70%. Eliminating manual welding and manual finishing significantly improves repair quality. OptoMech states that utilizing efficient and repeatable robotic finishing technology can significantly improve work quality and reduce repair costs in engine repair centers. The automated robotic system can repair 85,000 titanium compressor blades annually and has been certified by civil aviation regulators in multiple countries. Long-term commercial operation has demonstrated the system's safety and reliability.
According to a report on the UK aero-mag website on September 17, the UK's Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) launched a £22.5 million research and development project, titled "Landing Gear Industry Breakthrough (I-Break)." Led by Airbus and involving 15 companies, research institutions, and universities, this project will mark the world's first 3D-printed aircraft landing gear component.
The I-Break project consists of four work packages: WAAM3D is responsible for the industrialization of arc 3D printing production speed increases, microstructural and mechanical property control for high-integrity structural applications, the industrialization of in-line non-destructive testing (NDT), and the production of prototype parts of appropriate size and complexity using an upgraded RoboWAAM system. Cranfield University is responsible for researching new WAAM processes and solutions and validating the deposition of critical alloys. The University of Strathclyde is responsible for innovative in-line NDT technologies. PeakNDT, a manufacturer of high-performance conventional and phased array ultrasonic instruments, is also responsible for researching in-line NDT technologies.
Using 3D printing for aircraft landing gear components can shorten time-to-market, improve product quality, and reduce CO2 emissions by 20%. The project's R&D work is scheduled for completion by 2026. The global manufacturing process for aircraft landing gear components will gradually shift from forging to 3D printing.
The company boasts leading domestic titanium processing production lines, including:
German-imported precision titanium tube production line (annual production capacity: 30,000 tons);
Japanese-technology titanium foil rolling line (thinnest to 6μm);
Fully automated titanium rod continuous extrusion line;
Intelligent titanium plate and strip finishing mill;
The MES system enables digital control and management of the entire production process, achieving product dimensional accuracy of ±0.01μm.
