DISRUPTIVE MANUFACTURING:Rapid Manufacturing of Aerospace Structures (RMAS)

Rapid Manufacturing is a new area of manufacturing developed from a family of technologies known as Rapid Prototyping. Rapid Prototyping typically utilizes advanced layer manufacturing technologies that can quickly generate complex three-dimensional objects directly from computer-based models devised by Computer Aided Design (CAD). This computer representation is sliced into two-dimensional layers, whose descriptions are sent to the fabrication equipment to build the part layer by layer. Rapid prototyping includes many different fabrication technologies. Stereolithography (SL), selective laser sintering (SLS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and fused deposition modeling (FDM) are a few examples. These Rapid Prototyping processes have already had the effect of both improving products and reducing their development time. Rapid Manufacturing is an attempt to transition these prototyping techniques to the manufacturing floor. This form of manufacturing can be incredibly cost-effective and the process is far more flexible than conventional manufacturing. Rapid Prototyping processes have been shown to be economically feasible for use in the manufacture of non structural parts in quantities. This Rapid Manufacturing effort will focus on the use of these Rapid Prototyping processes in the fabrication and/or assembly of Aerospace Structures.