Full Scale Prototype Larger Than The Printer Itself

“We produced for them a 10' x 4.5' fuselage in about 4 weeks from the time they provided us with their design.”


Project Brief

This full scale prototype was an extremely complex additive manufacturing project. Our aerospace customer was accelerating the development of a new aircraft for a growing global market. They required a full-size fuselage model with a high degree of dimensional accuracy so they could perform internal testing for ergonomics, cockpit design, and operation.

The fuselage was about 10’ long and 4.5’ in diameter – one of the largest prototypes we’d ever attempted. For a build that big, we had to develop a production method for creating over 130 thin-walled panels along with a proprietary system of mechanical joints and assembly.




Project Details

Project Demands
  • Must be actual size which is larger than our printer
  • Required a high degree of dimensional accuracy
  • In-person delivery
DI Labs Solutions
  • Produced a 10′ long and 4.5′ diameter prototype
  • Printed in 130 thin-walled panels
  • Used proprietary system of mechanical joints
Services
  • Design for Additive
  • Prototyping
  • Digital Manufacturing



Product Photos