Design and Qualification of an Additively Manufactured Manifold for Aircraft Landing Gears Applications

Abstract

The continuous pursuit of reducing weight and optimizing manufacturing processes is increasingly demanded in transportation vehicles, particularly in the aerospace field. In this context, additive manufacturing (AM) represents a well-known technique suitable for re-engineering traditional systems, minimizing the product’s weight/volume and print time. The present research activity allowed for the exploration of the feasibility to replicate a conventional hydraulic manifold already certified for defence application with a lightweight and more compact issue through typical stringent aeronautical qualification steps. Computational modelling with lab test efforts made it possible to assess the compliance of the device with airworthiness certification requirements, giving a special focus to the fulfilment of structural requirements. In particular, the fatigue life characterization is still a crucial point to be well investigated in aeronautical components dfAM (designed for additive manufacturing) to demonstrate the maturity of the technology in the certification scenario. The new AM-driven design offers a more than 40 per cent weight reduction.