Airbus approach for F&DT stress justification of Additive Manufacturing parts

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is rapidly expanding in aviation due to the advantages it offers compared to conventional manufacturing routes. It allows the production of geometry optimized complex parts with an efficient use of material. However, in order to design reliable parts using this novel manufacturing route, the changes it involves in material properties, defects and shape of parts need to be understood. This paper presents an industrial structural analysis approach applied by AIRBUS to justify newly introduced AM parts on aircraft. Some areas for future development and improvement are also presented.