Nov 23, 2016 | By Tess

Magnetic MRO, an Estonian aircraft maintenance, repair, and operations company, has teamed up with British subsidiary company MAC Interiors to integrate 3D printing into the production of aviation-approved parts. The announcement follows thorough research conducted by the two companies to discover how additive manufacturing could benefit their overall production process.

Founded in 2002, Magnetic MRO has prided itself on consistently integrating state-of-the-art technologies into its process to offer clients a superior overall service. As the company states on its website, “Magnetic MRO was born with a mission to reinvent existing business models and deliver superior customer experience to the global MRO industry.” Considering this, it seems it was only a matter of time before the aircraft maintenance, repair, and operations company turned to 3D printing technologies.

MAC Interiors, which was acquired by Magnetic MRO in February 2016, was originally founded as Aviation Furnishings International in 1962, and has since become a recognized company for the design and furnishing of aircraft interiors. More specifically, the company has expertise in retrofitting and refurbishing aircraft lavatories, galleys, seating, partitions, VIP interiors, and more.

According to the two companies, additive manufacturing will allow them to explore more cost-effective interior solutions without sacrificing their high level of quality. Specifically, Magnetic MRO worked with MAC Interiors—a specialist in aircraft interior design and furnishing—to determine the benefits and potentials of integrating 3D printing technology into their production process. This marks the first time in the company’s long history that 3D printing will be used.

A press release stated: “MAC Interiors recently started a new program with a leading aircraft interior product manufacturer in order to design and produce functional mock-ups for a client's new product. This was the first time that MAC Interiors has ever designed 3D printed parts for a client, which resulted in high quality production with the assistance of Magnetic MRO.” Neither company specified who the new partner was.

Andrius Norkevicius, Managing Director of MAC Interiors, expressed excitement about the integration of 3D printing into their design process. He said: “As MAC Interiors, we have proven that we are capable of designing and finalizing 3D printed parts not only quickly but also accurately dimensioned and lightweight. More importantly, we got to exceed customer expectations in our first trial and gained a significantly competitive experience.”

On a larger scale, the companies’ adoption of additive manufacturing technologies is symptomatic of the technology’s increased popularity and viability for a wide range of industries. As we know, 3D printing technologies have already staked their place within the aerospace industry in terms of prototyping and developing new and advanced aircraft parts, but now it seems they could also have a significant role to play in the more aesthetic aspects of the aircraft manufacturing sector.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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