Home - Materialise Produces Certified Titanium Latch for Lufthansa Technik Aerospace Materialise Produces Certified Titanium Latch for Lufthansa Technik Paloma Duran 5 days ago 0 Internationally licensed maintenance, production and development organization Lufthansa Technik has replaced a damage-prone polymer latch on Airbus A330, A340, and A380 roller shutter assemblies with a redesigned titanium version, produced through metal 3D printing by Belgian additive manufacturing company Materialise . The new Ti-6Al-4V latch is manufactured under EN 9100 certification and is now flying on in-service aircraft. The original latch, an injection-molded polymer component that retains the roller brake and endcap within the shutter assembly, repeatedly failed under in-service wear. Compounding the problem, OEMs would not sell the part as a standalone spare, forcing Lufthansa Technik to replace the entire roller shutter assembly at high costs every time the latch broke. Rethinking the part for 3D printing Rather than reproduce the polymer part in metal, Lufthansa Technik’s additive manufacturing team redesigned the component specifically for 3D printing. “The original part was an injection-molded polymer component with a complex geometry,” said David Rudolz, Project Engineer at Lufthansa Technik. “It was immediately identified as an ideal candidate for metal additive manufacturing.” The redesign accounted for titanium’s different mechanical behavior compared to the original polymer, with engineers adjusting the part’s elastic response, geometry, and wall thickness to preserve function while improving durability. Lufthansa Technik holds EASA Part 21.G and 21.J certifications, allowing it to design, manufacture, and certify flight-ready parts in-house. 3D printed titanium latch. Photo via Materialise. Choosing a certified production partner For manufacturing, Lufthansa Technik turned to Materialise, an established partner selected in part for its EN 9100 certification for metal parts and the capacity of its Metal Competence Center. “Materialise is one of our preferred partners and was our first choice for this project,” Rudolz said. Materialise underwent a supplier qualification audit before production began, after which the two companies coordinated closely on manufacturing process, process stability requirements, and production controls to meet Lufthansa Technik’s design specifications. 3D printed titanium latch backside. Photo via Materialise. The titanium latch is now flight-ready and in service. Its added strength has extended the component’s expected lifecycle and allows Lufthansa Technik to replace just the latch when damage occurs, cutting maintenance costs and repair time. The project has also led Materialise to be named an official workbench for Lufthansa Technik’s metal parts production. A track record built since 2015 The project builds on Materialise’s extensive aerospace track record, particularly its long-standing relationship with Airbus.