Review: The Impact of Metal Additive Manufacturing on the Aerospace Industry

TLDR

Metal additive manufacturing has progressed from research to commercial use and is now widely employed in aerospace to produce and repair components for commercial, military, and space vehicles. The review surveys the categories of metal AM technologies, traces their evolution from prototyping to the manufacturing of propulsion systems and structural components in aerospace, and discusses outstanding challenges such as standards, sustainability, and supply chain development. The authors systematically categorize metal AM technologies, chronologically map their aerospace application evolution, and evaluate challenges like standards, sustainability, and supply chain.

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has matured from its infancy in the research stage to the fabrication of a wide range of commercial functional applications. In particular, at present, metal AM is now popular in the aerospace industry to build and repair various components for commercial and military aircraft, as well as outer space vehicles. Firstly, this review describes the categories of AM technologies that are commonly used to fabricate metallic parts. Then, the evolution of metal AM used in the aerospace industry from just prototyping to the manufacturing of propulsion systems and structural components is also highlighted. In addition, current outstanding issues that prevent metal AM from entering mass production in the aerospace industry are discussed, including the development of standards and qualifications, sustainability, and supply chain development.