Methods and Materials for Metal Additive Manufacturing: A Critical Review on Aeronautic and Aerospace Sectors

The method of creating metallic components by layer-by-layer addition of material to the production process is known as metal additive manufacturing. The potential for performance and commercial benefits in the aerospace sector has contributed to the tremendous expansion of this technology. Metal AM in aerospace applications reduces component mass through highly efficient and lightweight designs and consolidates multiple components for performance enhancement or risk management such as internal cooling. Commercial use of these prospects is being made possible by several high-profile aerospace applications, including liquid-fuel rocket engines, propellant tanks, satellite parts, and system maintenance. This article offers a thorough analysis of industrial as well as technical literature on metal AM in the aerospace sector. In addition to summarizing the main application scenarios and the accompanying commercial and technical benefits of AM in these applications. Based on these insights, metal additive manufacturing challenges and opportunities are listed for each application.