When the Flying Test Bed A380 aircraft from Airbus hits the skies later this year, it will mark a major milestone in aerospace manufacturing. That is because the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine powering the aircraft will be equipped with the largest civil aero-engine component ever built using 3D-printing techniques. The component, an engine front bearing measuring 1.5m across, contains 48 aerofoil-shaped vane components, each of which was produced by 3D printing, or additive manufacturing as it is also known.
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