Current Trends in the Application of Polymer 3D Printing in Aircraft Engineering and Methodological Approaches to Design Optimization

Oleksandr DZHURYNSKYI, Sergey FILIPKOVSKIJ

Abstract


This article analyzes the latest trends in the application of polymer 3D printing technologies in aircraft engineering, with a particular focus on methodological approaches to design optimization. Polymer-based additive manufacturing methods, including FDM, SLS, SLA, and MJF, are considered as enabling technologies for the production of aircraft components with complex geometries, reduced structural mass, and enhanced functional integration. The increasing adoption of these technologies in aircraft structures, systems, and interior components is driven by the need to improve weight efficiency, shorten development cycles, and support flexible manufacturing across different stages of the product life cycle.

Special attention is given to the role of design-stage optimization in ensuring the mechanical performance, durability, and operational reliability of polymer components manufactured using additive technologies. Key challenges inherent to polymer 3D printing are discussed, including anisotropy of mechanical properties, process-induced defects, sensitivity to printing parameters, and variability in material behavior. These factors significantly affect the repeatability and certification readiness of additively manufactured aircraft components.

The article reviews contemporary optimization strategies applied in aircraft engineering, including design for additive manufacturing, statistical methods (such as Design of Experiments and Taguchi techniques), numerical modeling, and data-driven approaches based on AI. The integration of digital design, experimental validation, and intelligent optimization tools into a unified methodological framework is identified as a critical factor for improving the efficiency and reliability of polymer 3D-printed aircraft components. Based on the analysis of recent studies and industrial practices, existing gaps are identified and prospective directions for further research and development of polymer additive manufacturing in aircraft engineering are outlined. Further investigations should be carried out in the field of comprehensive exper-imental validation of optimized designs.

Keywords


polymer 3D printing; aircraft engineering; additive manufacturing; design optimization; process parameters; artificial intelligence; numerical modeling

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32620/oikit.2026.107.19

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