Case Study: Bell Helicopter achieves faster, higher-quality aircraft prototypes with Stratasys FDM

Bell Helicopter builds 42 prototype conduits in 2.5 days with Stratasys

Bell Helicopter faced the challenge of creating durable, functional prototypes for an experimental wiring upgrade on its Osprey aircraft. The company needed a solution that could withstand rigorous testing with fuels and hydraulic fluids, which traditional prototyping materials could not. They turned to vendor Stratasys and its Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology to address this.

Stratasys provided a solution using its Fortus FDM system to 3D print wiring conduits from tough polycarbonate. This allowed Bell Helicopter to produce the required parts in-house in just two and a half days, a significant reduction from the six-week lead time required for traditional cast aluminum methods. The result was substantial cost savings and a more efficient iterative design process, enabling the development of better-designed components.

Bell Helicopter