Rapid prototyping offers many advantages that aid in rotorcraft component design and manufacturing.  One of the most-promising rapid prototyping techniques, selective laser sintering, has undergone advancements that have enabled rapid prototyping to evolve into a technology capable of part manufacturing.  This fabrication technique allows for parts to be fabricated from a CAD solid model and hence does not require a drawing, production interpretation, or a tool.  A finely powdered material is solidified layer by layer using a high power laser until the part is complete.  Advances in the thermal stability of laser sintering equipment have allowed for improved reliability and repeatability of production builds.  In addition, optimizations of materials and equipment parameters have improved the Z-direction properties and have thus improved the overall mechanical integrity of parts fabricated.  As a result, selective laser sintering has shown tremendous promise for use in a wide array of applications including functional prototypes, iterative design, tooling, and flightworthy production parts.

One major benefit to rapid prototyping is that it allows an actual part to be produced from a 3D model in as little as a few days.  This schedule reduction is critical for both design needs and for production.  Another benefit is the time/cost savings for tooling, which are substantial for limited production and relatively low volume unique products such as rotorcraft.  Additionally, rapid prototyping for manufacturing allows parts to be designed for function instead of being designed for manufacturability.  Complex geometry parts can be built making it is possible to reduce part count for an assembly.

This presentation provides an overview of selective laser sintering, discusses the benefits and limitations of this technology, examines what has been done to qualify the materials and processes for flightworthy applications, and defines the direction that this industry seems to be proceeding regarding future applications and materials.