This included components as large as 12 inches in diameter, thanks to the large, heated build plate and chamber of the machine. As an open materials system, the printer allowed the team to print with HTN-CF for 80 percent of the functional printed parts on the aircraft. Bringing 3D Printing In-houseīecause the FUNMAT PRO 410 is on par with outsourcing part production in terms of cost, Horizon was able to bring AM in-house without the fear that intellectual property would have to leave the workshop. Working with the Horizon team, CAD Micro directed it to the purchase of a FUNMAT PRO 410 from INTAMSYS, known for its comparatively low-cost, high-temperature extrusion 3D printers. There are few providers of such services at a quality level necessary for achieving the types of lofty goals pursued by Horizon Aircraft. This is a unique advantage in Canada, where the 3D printing ecosystem is in a nascent stage but expected to boom along with the oil and gas industry there. Because the team is made up of experienced engineers and technology specialists, it is able to go beyond selling equipment and offer tailored solutions for businesses. It offers a curated selection of unique 3D printers, meaning that its solutions aren’t the run-of-the-mill machines you expect from resellers. 3D Printing in Canadaĭiscussed in our PRO article on Canada’s AM ecosystem, CAD Micro is not only a reseller of 3D printers, but provides engineering, training, scanning services and more. The firm turned to one of the leading 3D printer solutions providers in Canada, CAD MicroSolutions. To get this far, Horizon Aircraft has had to rely heavily on 3D printing, both for design iteration and for obtaining parts that aren’t available off the shelf. Currently, Horizon Aircraft have completed a fifty-percent-scale prototype that is successfully undergoing flight testing. Air Force Department of Defense AFWERX contract for R&D as one of only 11 companies to receive an award out of over 220 applicants. Horizon has a lean Engineering team that achieves fast and efficient results by keeping CAD design, rapid 3D printed part prototyping, and quality validation in house. ![]() When successfully built, Horizon’s vehicle will be used for such applications as Medevac, organ transport, disaster relief, regional cargo and passenger transport, and more. Its flagship craft is the Cavorite X5, featuring patented wings that open up to reveal series of fans for vertical takeoff and landing and close when performing traditional forward flight. Horizon Aircraft’s VTOL ConceptĪmong the startups in the space is Canada-based Horizon Aircraft, founded in 2008 and focusing on hybrid electric VTOL vehicles. And why wouldn’t they? Their smaller-scale predecessors, quadcopters often rely on 3D printed components as well. Due to the unique nature of this technology, VTOL businesses are turning to additive manufacturing (AM) to produce many of their parts. ![]() You’ve likely seen footage of VTOL craft, which fly and land like helicopters but at greater speeds and lower operating costs. ![]() As surprising it may seem to some tech skeptics, the emerging world of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicles is, well, beginning to take off.
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