Rolls-Royce has opened a new additive manufacturing development cell at its Bristol site, funded by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and equipped with German-engineered additive manufacturing technology. The cell will be used to develop and qualify additive manufacturing processes for next-generation aircraft engine components, including those required for the Global Combat Air Programme. The investment marks another deliberate step to anchor advanced engine manufacturing capability for the United Kingdom’s future combat air capability inside the country’s industrial base. Additive manufacturing – sometimes referred to as industrial 3D printing – has matured rapidly across the aerospace sector over the past…
