[Courtesy of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction]
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, refers to creating a physical object by stacking layers of various materials such as metal, ceramic and plastic. It can produce a variety of parts for automobiles and airplanes by melting and welding materials using laser. The 3D printing technology can produce complex designs that are difficult to create with general processing technologies.
Doosan Heavy said in a statement on September 30 that the completion ceremony of the 3D printing fabrication facility (FAB) was held virtually in Changwon some 301 kilometers (187 miles) south of Seoul. The company adopted 3D printing technology in 2014 to upgrade the company's manufacturing capability for power generator parts. Doosan Heavy is currently supplying 3D-printed parts for large gas turbines and a prototype for KF-21, a fighter jet currently being developed by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
"Based on Doosan Heavy's design, material and manufacturing technology, we will create synergy by expanding the application of 3D printing technology to aviation and defense industries," Song Yong-jin, head of Doosan Heavy's strategic innovation division, was quoted as saying.
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