3D Printed Kevlar Shields to Revolutionize Aerospace Repair Techniques

Aircraft and spacecraft have become central to our way of life. Whether for traveling, satellite communications, navigation, national security or any of the other numerous applications for which these craft are necessary, it is important that they be able to be repaired swiftly and competently to prevent disruption or even danger. Now there may be a new way to do this. The SBORAEK project is seeking to find a better way to repair aerospace structures through the use of 3D printed Kevlar shields.

SBORAEK, which stands for Smart Ballistic Optimization for Repairing of Aerospace Exostructures using 3D-printed Kevlar and is a play on words referring to Turkish pastry Börek, is a project being led by Dr. Leonardo Barilaro, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST). Additionally, it is funded by Malta Council for Science & Technology while being supported by a collaboration between MCAST’s Institute of Engineering and Transport (IET), CISAS of the University of Padova (Italy), and Skyup Academy (Italy). The goal is to create shields which will allow for faster and more cost-effective repair of space- and aircraft.

One of the 3D printed Kevlar shields made with continuous composite extrusion 3D printing

3D Printed Kevlar Shields to Improve Aerospace Repairs

The structural integrity of aircraft and spacecraft is, understandably, paramount for safety. And it can be a real challenge since space debris or even micrometeoroids can collide with these craft and cause serious damage. Considering that according to the ESA’s latest numbers there are more than 40,500 space debris objects greater than 10cm out there, the ability to quickly repair these craft is hugely important. However, current methods are both time-consuming and expensive. SBORAEK aims to change this.