QinetiQ, in collaboration with Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited (AMS Ltd.), introduced a 3D printed helicopter hinge made from recycled aircraft titanium, featuring metal powder produced from decommissioned airframes. The part was installed on a QinetiQ A109S at MOD Boscombe Down and flew as part of a Flight Test Organisation trial.
AMS Ltd. converted scrap titanium into powder that met additive manufacturing specifications, reporting a 97% material recovery rate and a 93.5% reduction in CO2e versus conventional supply chains. QinetiQ led the hinge design and integration while AMS handled powder production and printing for the structural component.
For operators and OEMs, the flight demonstrated a pathway to cut emissions and import reliance by reclaiming aerospace-grade metal for certified parts, supporting circular supply chains and resilience in titanium sourcing. The debut signals a practical step toward sustainable, domestically supplied aerospace materials.
Image Credit: QinetiQ
What's Driving This Trend
- Recycled Aerospace-grade Powders
- Demonstrates that decommissioned airframe titanium can be reclaimed into additive-manufacturing-spec metal powder with high recovery and substantially lower CO2e, enabling supply-chain decarbonization and reduced import reliance.
- Additive Manufacturing for Structural Flight Parts
- Shows that 3D printed, certified structural components can meet flight-test requirements, opening pathways for on-demand, domestically produced replacements for critical assemblies.
- Circular Supply Chains for Critical Metals
- Signals a shift toward closed-loop material flows in aerospace where end-of-life assets become feedstock, improving resilience against raw-material shortages and geopolitical risk.
Who This Affects Most
- Aerospace Manufacturing
- Presents potential to shorten lead times and lower environmental footprints by integrating recycled metal powders and additive production into OEM part qualification and sustainment programs.
- Defense and Flight Test Organizations
- Reflects the value of in-country validation of recycled-additive parts to de-risk adoption for mission-critical platforms and regulatory approval pathways.
- Metal Recycling and Powder Production
- Highlights opportunities for specialized recycling-to-powder services to capture higher margins by meeting stringent aerospace specifications and certification requirements.
