AFD Systems strengthens aerospace production capability with investment in Stratasys F900

New large-format additive manufacturing capability supports production of larger flightworthy aerospace components following Part 21G Production Organisation Approval.

AFD Systems has further strengthened its aerospace manufacturing capability with the acquisition of a Stratasys F900 industrial additive manufacturing system, significantly expanding its ability to produce large-format flightworthy aerospace components following the company’s recent Part 21G Production Organisation Approval, further enhancing its ability to deliver certified flightworthy aerospace products.

The investment reflects AFD Systems’ continued commitment to delivering certified aerospace products and has been driven by increasing demand for larger and more complex additively manufactured components across aerospace, defence and other highly regulated sectors.

While the company’s existing additive manufacturing capability supports a broad range of production parts, tooling and engineering applications, the F900 provides a substantially larger build envelope and increased manufacturing capacity to support future growth.

The new capability enables AFD Systems to manufacture larger aerospace components in a single build, reducing assembly requirements, improving structural integrity and enhancing production efficiency. This expanded capability opens new opportunities for customers to adopt additive manufacturing for flightworthy and mission-critical applications where component size has previously been a limiting factor.

The additional capacity will also improve throughput, reduce lead times and enhance AFD Systems’ ability to respond rapidly to customer requirements, supporting both development programmes and production demands.

The primary focus for the new capability will be the manufacture of larger flightworthy aerospace components, production tooling and low-volume certified parts, supporting both current and future aerospace programmes.

Aerospace and defence customers are expected to be the principal beneficiaries, although the technology will also provide significant opportunities across advanced engineering, industrial manufacturing and research and development applications.

Garry Sellick, Head of Manufacturing at AFD Systems, said:

“The acquisition of the Stratasys F900 represents a significant enhancement to our manufacturing capability and directly supports our ability to deliver larger, more complex aerospace components following our recent Part 21G Production Organisation Approval.

The system’s large build envelope enables us to manufacture components that were previously beyond our in-house capability, reducing assembly requirements, improving structural integrity and creating new opportunities for flightworthy applications.

In addition, the increased capacity allows us to respond more efficiently to customer demand while maintaining the quality and traceability expected within regulated aerospace and defence programmes.”

This investment strengthens our position as a trusted manufacturing partner for customers such as BAE Systems, supporting the delivery of innovative, production-ready additive manufacturing solutions. It also provides a platform for continued growth in advanced aerospace applications and larger flightworthy structures.

Jerrod Hartley, CEO of AFD Systems, said:

“This investment reflects our commitment to continuously expanding the capability of AFD Systems and supporting the evolving needs of our customers.

The award of our Part 21G Production Organisation Approval marked an important milestone in our growth strategy, and the addition of the Stratasys F900 is a natural next step in building our capacity to deliver certified aerospace products at greater scale.

By extending the size and complexity of components we can manufacture, we are enabling customers to realise the full benefits of additive manufacturing on larger aerospace structures, including reduced part count, lower assembly complexity and shorter lead times.

Importantly, it positions AFD Systems to support the next generation of aerospace programmes where lightweight, high-performance and rapidly deployable manufacturing solutions will play an increasingly important role.

We see this as an investment not only in equipment, but in the long-term capability of our organisation and the value we can deliver to customers across aerospace, defence and advanced engineering sectors.”

By extending the size and complexity of components we can manufacture, we are enabling customers to realise the full benefits of additive manufacturing on larger aerospace structures, including reduced part count, lower assembly complexity and shorter lead times.