Aerospace 3D Printing: Jamco's MakerBot METHOD Case Study

Aerospace 3D printing is changing how cabin interiors reach the production floor. Designs for Boeing and Airbus demand tight tolerances and quick iteration. Jamco America met both with one professional desktop machine, the MakerBot METHOD. The payoff was lower cost, faster turnaround, and full control over its prototyping.

Why aerospace 3D printing is changing aircraft cabin design

At its simplest, aerospace 3D printing is the use of additive manufacturing to design, test, and produce aircraft components in-house. For cabin interior teams, the appeal is speed.

Every business-class seat, galley fixture, and retrofit panel runs through many design cycles before approval. Each cycle once meant a wait for an outside supplier. In-house printing removes the wait.

Jamco America designs and manufactures aircraft seating, cabin furnishings, and retrofit components from Everett, Washington. Its clients include Boeing, Airbus, and other major aerospace names. Development teams there rely on rapid prototyping to meet tight production schedules.

The challenge: Tokyo lead times and costly service bureaus

The company first ran its prototypes through industrial printers at its Tokyo headquarters. Lead times stretched to a full month. Local service bureaus were no quicker, and each part cost hundreds of dollars.

Engineers then tried a low-cost desktop printer to bring the work in-house. It failed to hold the accuracy or reliability aerospace-grade prototyping needs. Parts failed inspection, and the experiment stalled.

Why Jamco chose the MakerBot METHOD

Before deciding, Jamco evaluated 15 different printers. The MakerBot METHOD won on three points: industrial capability, cost efficiency, and room to grow.

Two features made the difference. A Circulating Heated Build Chamber holds a stable temperature through the whole print, which keeps parts dimensionally accurate. PVA water-soluble support material lets the team print complex geometries, then dissolve the supports without marking the part.

Together they gave Jamco industrial-level dimensional accuracy on a desktop footprint.

“METHOD helped us improve our process to meet our goals of rapid prototyping and many iterations, very quickly,” says John Cornell, Manager of Product R&D.

The results: from $350 to $14, 30 days to one day

Setup was plug-and-play. Jamco began printing functional prototypes straight away, including:

• Crew step ergonomics models

• Extrusions up to 48 inches, printed in bonded sections

• Components tested for spatial usability and structural fit

The cost and time gap was the headline.

Outsourced 3D Printing	METHOD in-house
Total cost $350	$14
Total time 30 days	1 day

In-house printing cut the cost of a prototype by about 96 percent, from $350 to $14. Turnaround dropped from 30 days to a single day. For a team running many iterations, the saving compounds across every project.

What this means for Australian aerospace and MRO teams

Australia’s aerospace and defence sector runs on the same pressures Jamco faced. Think maintenance and repair providers, defence contractors, and university research labs. They all need parts fast and on budget.

The case here is the same: speed and control. The MakerBot METHOD and the larger Method XL are both available in Australia through Australian 3D Printers. They suit teams who want aerospace-grade prototypes without sending designs offshore.

We have seen the same shift across local manufacturing. Design firm Pensa added a Method XL for small-batch production, and Panelli Srl uses Method-family printers to prototype and test high-strength parts. Where a job calls for metal-like strength and chemical resistance, the Sinterit Lisa X brings SLS to aerospace work, as in the Jetson One aircraft project.

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Frequently asked questions

What is aerospace 3D printing?

Aerospace 3D printing is the use of additive manufacturing to make aircraft parts, from cabin interior prototypes to functional components. It lets engineers test designs in-house and shorten development cycles.

Is FDM accurate enough for aircraft prototyping?

Yes. Professional FDM printers like METHOD use a heated build chamber to hold dimensional accuracy across a whole part. Jamco America used METHOD to prototype cabin components for Boeing and Airbus interiors.

How much can in-house 3D printing save an aerospace team?

Jamco cut the cost of a prototype from $350 to $14 and the lead time from 30 days to one day. In-house printing removes service bureau fees and shipping delays.

Which MakerBot printer suits aerospace prototyping?

The MakerBot METHOD suits most cabin and interior prototypes. The larger Method XL handles bigger parts and small-batch production for engineering teams who need more build volume.

Can 3D printed parts be used on real aircraft?

Most desktop 3D printing in aerospace covers prototypes, tooling, and jigs. Flight-certified end-use parts need approved materials and processes, so many teams start with prototyping and tooling, where the savings are immediate.

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3D Printer Aerospace Case Study MakerBot Prototyping