Case Study: ASCO achieves 31% weight reduction with SLM Solutions additive manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing of an Aircraft High-Lift Actuation Device

ASCO, a Belgian aerospace company specializing in high-lift actuation mechanisms, needed to redesign a Krueger flap gooseneck bracket that had been originally made for machining. The machined steel part was complex, heavy, and had a poor buy-to-fly ratio, creating a strong need for a more efficient manufacturing approach. SLM Solutions supported the project using its SLM®280 TWIN metal additive manufacturing platform and application engineering expertise.

Working jointly with ASCO, SLM Solutions redesigned the bracket for additive manufacturing using topology optimization and integrated three parts into one. The new titanium Ti6Al4V component cut weight by 31% to 1416 g, reduced the buy-to-fly ratio from about 17 to 1.5, and significantly reduced machining time by limiting post-processing to only a few interfaces. SLM Solutions also reduced build time from 82 hours to 48 hours, and down to 24 hours per part using the SLM®280 Twin.

ASCO