Additive manufacturing holds immense potential for the aircraft cabin: bionic structures, sustainable materials, and the efficient production of small series could revolutionize cabin manufacturing. However, so far, only small components have made the leap from the printer to the airplane. The biggest hurdle? Certification. A joint project between Lufthansa Technik and ZAL GmbH addresses exactly this issue: it aims to demonstrate that even large cabin components can be additively manufactured and certified.

One-of-a-kind or mass production?

In the AM laboratory of ZAL GmbH, 3D printing has always been thought of in larger dimensions. In various research projects, large cabin components such as a smart cabin table (LiBio) or a recyclable overhead storage compartment (RAFINESS) have already been created here.

Large components, big questions

So far, additively manufactured components can mainly be found in the form of armrests, covers, or cup holders in the cabin. However, in collaboration with Lufthansa Technik, ZAL GmbH is researching how large components could also make the leap into aviation. To achieve this goal, the project team is addressing the following questions:

• Which cabin components are suitable for additive manufacturing?
• What component and certification requirements are necessary?
• How can new functions be integrated through additive manufacturing?
• How can print quality be ensured?
• What scaling effects occur (e.g., heating of components during printing, thermal distortion)?
• How efficient is additive manufacturing compared to traditional manual methods?

OMCI Project Launch at ZAL TechCenter

The OMCI project (Optimized Manufacturing for Cabin Interior) started in January 2025 with a kick-off at the ZAL TechCenter. The goal is to take additive manufacturing a significant step further and make large AM components usable for aviation. OMCI is funded by the Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (EFRE). #EFREhamburg

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