Indian companies make 3D prints of key aircraft parts

BENGALURU: Barely months after Elon Musk showed off a rocket engine chamber that came out of a 3D printer, many Indian companies are adopting the technology to print critical aircraft components.

Aequs, India's largest private integrated aerospace components maker, invested Rs 3 crore in France-based Spartacus3D this week to print critical engine par ts. Altem Technologies is a reseller of Israel based Stratasys for 3D printers that make aerospace components.

“The game is about 10 years away but our customers want it. So we are increasing our capabilities,“ said Aravind Mellagiri, CEO of Aequs, who will experiment with 3D printers to manufacture most of the 3 million parts that make up an aircraft.

3D printers promise a big advantage: low-weight robust structures, a critical factor for the aerospace industry , manufactured with minimal wastage of precious raw material, saving costs.