ORNL and Boeing 3D-print two-ton steel mold for lighter aircraft doors

Engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Boeing spent eight weeks 3D-printing a two-ton, six-foot-tall steel Stamp Form Die using wire-arc additive manufacturing. The tool shapes lightweight thermoplastic composite doors for next-generation aircraft under NASA's HiCAM project.

• The two-ton, six-foot mold was printed by a robotic arm over eight weeks
• It combines mild and stainless steel with internal curved cooling channels
• 32 computer simulations ensured precise shaping without heat warping
• The work supports NASA HiCAM to cut aircraft weight and fuel use