Lufthansa Technik Uses 3D Printed Titanium Latch for Aircraft MRO

Maintenance and interiors aircraft giant Lufthansa Technik is exploring 3D printing at greater depths, hoping to take its customers to the heights they’re accustomed to. A team at Lufthansa Technik made a titanium LPBF latch to replace a damaged polymer one. Usually, in 3D printed MRO, we try to go the other way, implementing lighter-weight, cheaper polymer parts in place of metal ones. In this case, a specific latch kept breaking.

Any time parts break on aircraft, the resulting repair can be costly. It could delay a flight, or a plane may actually have to be unused for a while for repairs. Meanwhile, not doing this may expose safety issues or make a classy airliner look dingy. Even if a metal 3D printed component is much more expensive than a polymer alternative, making it more durable m