The Next Frontier of Aviation and AM’s Impact: Insights from JetZero’s Tim Berry

AM enables JetZero to explore complex geometries, consolidate parts, and achieve significant weight reductions — key advantages for creating an efficient blended wing body aircraft. Tim highlights how JetZero uses AM to build and iterate on essential components, from structural brackets to fluid handling systems, allowing rapid prototyping and reducing reliance on costly tooling.

One of JetZero’s standout initiatives is its subscale testing program. This program allows the team to experiment with AM on smaller-scale models, providing valuable insights into the functionality of various components before committing to full-scale production. In applications like landing gear and structural supports, AM offers JetZero the flexibility to produce components that would be challenging, if not impossible, to create with traditional manufacturing methods. Additionally, AM’s ability to quickly generate multiple iterations of a part aligns perfectly with JetZero’s commitment to “build, test, and learn” cycles.

Tim underscores that, while AM holds significant promise, it’s essential to apply it strategically. At JetZero, the focus is on leveraging AM where it brings the most value, balancing innovation with practicality. By incorporating AM thoughtfully, JetZero can produce parts with high precision, optimize material properties, and streamline the manufacturing process, all while adhering to strict aerospace quality standards. This approach ensures that every component, whether additively manufactured or traditionally produced, “earns its way onto the aircraft” by delivering measurable benefits.

The future of AM in aviation is bright, with ongoing advancements in technology, materials, and design approaches poised to redefine aerospace manufacturing. Tim Berry sees significant potential in areas like generative design and topology optimization, which offer the ability to create lightweight, structurally optimized parts that are ideally suited for AM.

One area of innovation Tim is particularly excited about is the emergence of larger build volumes such as the AMCM M 8K and high-strength materials. These advancements allow JetZero to consider using AM for bigger, more integral parts, opening possibilities that go beyond traditional applications. High-powered laser systems, for instance, are enabling faster production rates, and new alloys are expanding the range of components that AM can help produce.

Additionally, the growing sophistication of software tools is transforming how AM components are designed and validated. Programs like EOS Smart Fusion streamline the design-to-manufacturing pipeline, offering better control over material properties, enhancing post-processing efficiencies, and reducing the need for support structures. These innovations in software and design are paving the way for JetZero and other aviation companies to incorporate AM more seamlessly, optimizing both the performance and production of critical aircraft parts.

As AM technology continues to evolve, it will likely expand its role in the aviation industry, enabling companies like JetZero to push the boundaries of aircraft design and production. These advancements signal a shift toward a more agile, efficient, and environmentally conscious aviation landscape, where AM can realize its full potential.

For those interested in the future of aviation, JetZero’s journey exemplifies how strategic AM applications can drive meaningful change. The blended wing body aircraft will enter service in the 2030s, a goal that, while ambitious, reflects the confidence JetZero has in its approach and the transformative power of AM. Keep an eye on JetZero as it continues to pioneer new pathways in aviation, leveraging AM’s full potential to bring innovative, sustainable aircraft designs closer to reality.