3D-printed tool receives world record

A 3D-printed trim-and-drill tool used for building aircraft has received the title of largest solid 3D-printed item by Guinness World Records.

The tool, developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), was printed in just 30 hours using carbon fibre and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) thermoplastic composite materials. It weighs approximately 748 kg and measures 5.3 m long, 1.7 m wide and 45 cm tall, the structure’s length is comparable to that of sport utility vehicle.

The tool will be evaluated at aircraft manufacturer Boeing and will be tested while building the Boeing 777X passenger jet. It will be used to secure the jet’s composite wing skin for drilling and machining before assembly.

Leo Christodoulou, Boeing’s director of structures and materials, explained the 3D-printed structure’s cost advantages over traditional machine manufacturing.

“The existing, more expensive metallic tooling option we currently use comes from a supplier and typically takes three months to manufacture using conventional techniques. Additively manufactured tools, such as the 777X wing trim tool, will save energy, time, labour and production cost and are part of our overall strategy to apply 3D-printing technology in key production areas.”

“Using 3D-printing, we could design the tool with less material and without compromising its function,” added Vlastimil Kunc, leader of ORNL’s polymer materials development team.

The ceremony took place at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Tennessee, where the component was printed on the lab’s Big Area Additive Manufacturing machine. Guinness World Records judge Michael Empric measured the trim tool, proved it exceeded the required minimum of 0.3 m³, and was awarded the new record title.

Once ORNL completes verification testing, Boeing plans to use the tool in the company’s new production facility in St Louis and provide information back to ORNL on its performance.

Production of the 777X is scheduled to begin in 2017 and Boeing targets first delivery by 2020.