Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction announced on April 13 that it has supplied parts made with 3D printing technology to the first Korean fighter KF-21.
This part is one of the equipment and materials that make up the air circulation system in fighter jets. It will also supply parts to Units 2 to 6, including those installed in KF-21 prototype 1 that were recently unveiled at the release ceremony.
Doosan Heavy signed a business agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries in 2019 on "cooperation in localization of aviation material forging and 3D printing process technology."
Both companies are planning to actively use 3D printing technology even in the process of mass production in order to increase the localization rate of components.
"We have been making gas turbine parts for power generation with 3D printing technology," said Song Yong-jin, vice president of strategic innovation division of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction. "It is meaningful in that we have applied the technology to manufacture parts for aviation and defense industries."
3D printing refers to a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object, with material being added together (such as plastics, liquids or powder grains being fused together), typically layer by layer.
It has the advantage of reducing manufacturing unit costs and shortening the production period.
By making gas turbine combustion machine parts with metal 3D printer, it can reduce nitrogen oxides by more than 40% and shorten lead times by more than 20% compared to machine tools.
