Airbus and MIT look to digital manufacturing

Under a new research agreement, Airbus and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will explore the potential of digital manufacturing in aircraft construction. This could result in composite aerospace structures being assembled much like snap-together building blocks, rather than manufactured as large, expensive one-piece parts. The digital material concepts being developed at MIT could lead to lighter weight structures and lower construction and assembly costs. Digital material technology is based on the idea that a complex structure can be constructed by assembling a single set of discrete components. The parts are assembled to give s structure that is lightweight, extremely durable and easy to assemble and disassemble. Source :  http://www.twi-global.com/news-events/industry-updates/equipment-consumables-and-materials-industry/