Diehl Aviation Introduces Largest 3D-Printed Part for Airbus Passenger Planes

Airbus may be considered the leader in the application of 3D printing technology to aircraft parts, having detailed a techno-futuristic vision of the future at the beginning of the decade that would supposedly redefine the way humans fly. As unrealistic as the vision might have seemed at the time, the company has consistently deployed a steady stream of 3D-printed parts into its A350 XWB aircraft.
The latest is said to be the largest, fully 3D-printed part for a passenger plane to date. Developed by Diehl Aviation, the part is a curtain comfort header-that curtain enclosure you may have seen separating your seat on a plane from the handful of passengers in first and business class. The component, measuring 1,140mm x 720mm x 240mm, was printed via fused deposition modeling and installed on an Airbus A350 XWB operated by Qatar Airways.