Case Study: GKN Aerospace delivers a flight-ready 3D-printed winglet with Materialise

GKN Aerospace’s Additively Manufactured Winglet From Paper to Plane in Just 14 Months

GKN Aerospace needed to develop a flight-ready winglet for Eviation’s Alice V2 electric aircraft under an extremely tight timeline. The part had a complex geometry, had to meet strict weight targets, and was a primary structural component, making conventional manufacturing too slow for the program’s needs. GKN Aerospace turned to Materialise and its additive manufacturing capabilities, specifically SLS with PA 12, to help address the challenge.

Materialise supported the design for manufacturability and produced the winglets as certified aerospace parts, enabling GKN Aerospace to move forward with testing and qualification. The parts passed destructive testing and proved flightworthy, helping the Eviation Alice achieve its first flight about 14 months after the project began, instead of the roughly five years such a program might normally take. The project also showed GKN Aerospace that Materialise-enabled additive manufacturing could be a viable option for future high-criticality, cost-sensitive replacement parts.

GKN Aerospace

Russ Brigham

Program Director