New Eaton facility aims to accelerate certified aerospace additive manufacturing
Intelligent power management company Eaton has opened a European Centre of Additive Manufacturing in the UK, expanding its production capabilities as demand grows for lighter aerospace components and more resilient regional supply chains.
Located at the company’s aerospace manufacturing campus in Wimborne, the new facility integrates design, engineering, printing and validation in a single location, allowing certified aerospace components to move more quickly from development into production.
The investment supports production-scale additive manufacturing in Europe and is intended to help aerospace customers manage increasingly complex manufacturing requirements while improving localised production capacity.
“As aerospace manufacturers continue to seek lighter, more efficient components and more resilient supply chains, additive manufacturing is gaining broader interest across the industry,” the company said.
Tomasina Bailey, vice president of engineering, aerospace group at Eaton, said: “By expanding our additive manufacturing capabilities in Europe, we’re enabling customers to move faster from design to production of certified components.
“With deep engineering expertise and integrated capabilities, Eaton is setting the standard for scaling additive in aerospace – delivering the performance, reliability and design flexibility customers need to deliver next generation platforms at scale.”
The facility houses Eaton’s largest metal additive manufacturing system, which the company says can deliver up to twice the productivity of its previous platforms, enabling faster development cycles and increased throughput for complex, safety-critical aerospace components.
According to Eaton, the technology allows manufacturers to produce lighter, more efficient components while reducing material use and minimising tooling requirements.
The company also plans to expand the site’s capabilities further, including the introduction of titanium and electron beam additive manufacturing processes, while working towards AS9100 aerospace quality certification.
Mike York, director of additive manufacturing and digital design, aerospace group at Eaton, said: “Eaton expects to expand the facility’s capabilities to further boost its ability to support high-reliability commercial and military programmes at scale.
“Based on customer requirements and operational readiness, the company anticipates using titanium and electron beam additive processes and is working towards achieving rigorous AS9100 aerospace quality certification.”
The new centre also strengthens Eaton’s global manufacturing network by providing regional production capability in Europe, offering customers greater supply chain resilience, reduced logistical delays and increased manufacturing redundancy for critical aerospace programmes.