Sigma Labs Inc (SASI)

[GetRich1day]

Clearly then, the FAA hasn’t been freely handing out certifications like in-flight bags of pretzels. But it is still up for debate as to whether the regulator, which is ultimately responsible for the lives of aircraft crew and passengers, could (or should) be working faster to approve 3D printed parts. While the regulator’s certification processes are not entirely transparent, the FAA has intermittently attempted to explain its school of thought on additive manufacturing—as well as its own role in the future of aerospace 3D printing.

Interestingly, the FAA also addressed what it termed the “challenges and concerns” about additive manufacturing—the very reasons why FAA approval for 3D printed parts might appear to be coming along slowly.

Those concerns about AM included, amongst other things, the possibility of material defects in 3D printed parts (and the resulting impact on the part’s airworthiness); a lack understanding about “failure modes” and their connection to key production parameters for AM produced parts; the unknown mechanical properties of metal 3D printed parts; and the susceptibility of 3D printed parts to environmental conditions.

The regulator has also discussed additive manufacturing on other occasions. In June 2016, at a joint FAA-Air Force workshop on 3D printing, a roundtable of experts concluded that aerospace additive manufacturing would generally require “better input powder material,” while also noting that the potential for unwanted manufacturing variation in AM was high.

Perhaps tellingly, the experts on the roundtable also concluded that “near-net or finished shapes, complex geometries, and as-built, or even post-processed, surface finishes” all represented “challenges for inspection,” with many parts requiring “sophisticated volume inspections, such as computed tomography, augmented by actual cutups.”

http://www.3ders.org//articles/20170620-is-aerospace-additive-manufacturing-ready-for-takeoff-examining-faa-attitudes-towards-3d-printing.html

I believe that GE will move to IPQA very soon to as this CT process followed by cutups will just be too cost prohibitive for mass AM production. PrintRite3D is waiting to be the IPQA solution for AM industry. The FAA visited to get a first hand look. I can't wait for FAA guidance to recommend having a "digital fingerprint" of certified AM parts! C'mon FAA with that guidance!