Finnair has tasked AM Craft, an aviation supplier with great expertise in polymer additive manufacturing, with replacing outdated flip-down video monitors in its Airbus A320 fleet. The project, launched on May 14, 2024, involves using 3D-printed blanking panels to upgrade the Passenger Service Units (PSUs). AM Craft is delivering 300 plus certified components on a just-in-time basis to make sure they are timely installed across 17 aircraft.
“Since starting the installation campaign of the printed panels as a fleet-wide solution during the fourth quarter of 2023, the work has been progressing smoothly and on schedule thanks to the support from AM Craft,” said Totti Pekonen, Finnair’s manager of cabin and payload engineering.
The 3D-printed panels are designed to optimize weight and meet all operational standards. AM Craft boasts an EASA 21G Production Organization Approval that enables them to certify these parts’ airworthiness, providing all-round support from design to production.
“This project is a great example of how well additive manufacturing fits within the aviation sector,” stated Janis Jatnieks, AM Craft’s chief commercial officer. “Finnair saved time and money, significantly reducing the weight of these parts.”
Today’s aircraft interior design requires more and more customization, and it is exactly where 3D printing comes in handy. Hiring AM Craft to redesign PSU panels illustrates how drastically 3D tech can reduce the time and costs in aircraft parts production. Excitingly, this is also the first case of leveraging 3D printing in polymers, not metals, as it’s traditionally done, for aviation refits.
