Case Study: Autodesk achieves lighter aircraft seat frames with ExOne 3D printing and casting

Autodesk cuts aircraft seat weight by 56% with ExOne

Autodesk, a company specializing in software for digital design, sought to create a lighter aircraft seat frame to help airlines reduce fuel costs and CO₂ emissions. Their challenge was designing and manufacturing a complex, safety-critical part that was too large for conventional 3D printers and required a specific light metal. They partnered with vendor ExOne to find a solution.

ExOne provided its binder jetting technology to 3D print a plastic pattern, which was then used in a traditional investment casting process. This solution allowed Autodesk to produce a large-scale magnesium prototype at a third of the cost of other methods. The resulting seat frame was 56% lighter, a reduction that could save an estimated $206 million in fuel costs and 126,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions for a fleet of 100 aircraft over 20 years.

Autodesk