Professor Zhang Haiou checks the 3D-printed aircraft landing gear. [Photo/Changjiang Daily]

On March 11, inside the factory of Wuhan Tianyu Intelligent Manufacturing Co, located in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as the Optics Valley of China, or OVC), Professor Zhang Haiou from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) inspected the main body of the world's first 3D-printed aircraft landing gear.

The main body of the aircraft landing gear measures 150 centimeters in length, 40 centimeters in diameter, and weighs 240 kilograms. Initiated in 2018, this project achieved a breakthrough in all key technologies by June 2022, and this prototype is now ready for on-aircraft testing.

Previously, metal 3D printing equipment lacked a forging process, leading to common defects such as cracking and deformed printed metal parts. As a result, these metal parts remained in the experimental research phase and could not be used commercially. In 2019, Professor Zhang Haiou's team developed the world's first 3D printing industrial machine that integrates casting, forging, and milling.

For the large metal forging of the aircraft landing gear, the printing process primarily involves the application of techniques related to processes, temperature control, and deformation. Fluctuating temperatures can easily cause cracks in the printed parts, necessitating precise temperature control during printing to minimize the occurrence of cracks. After thousands of experiments, Professor Zhang Haiou and his team finally identified the appropriate printing temperature.

It is worth noting that currently, only China, the United States, Russia, and some European countries have the capability to manufacture large aircraft landing gears. Wuhan Tianyu Intelligent Manufacturing Co is the world's first company to print the largest load-bearing component for large aircraft.