A major UK consortium, led by Airbus, has launched a £38 million programme to transform metal 3D printing for the aerospace industry. The four-year DECSAM project aims to make laser powder bed fusion—a key additive manufacturing (AM) technology—more cost-effective, productive, and sustainable for producing flight-ready components.
With the aviation sector under pressure to reach net-zero emissions, DECSAM will focus sharply on reducing waste and carbon intensity. The initiative prioritises resource efficiency, material reuse, and circular design principles across the entire AM supply chain, from raw material to finished part.
“Additive manufacturing can unlock new efficiencies in aerospace, lowering costs, optimising material use, reducing weight, and consolidating complex assemblies,” said Jacqueline Castle, Chief Technology Officer at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), one of the programme’s funders alongside Innovate UK and the Department for Business and Trade.
The project unites 11 organisations, including aerospace giants like GKN Aerospace, technology leader Renishaw, and several research institutes, ensuring full coverage of the UK’s AM manufacturing chain. Their goal is to close critical gaps that currently hinder wider adoption of the technology, such as fragmented quality assurance, reliance on overseas processing steps, and high end-to-end production costs.
DECSAM is structured around four innovation pillars: developing new high-performance alloys, boosting productivity with advanced lasers and monitoring, creating a scalable digital factory model, and demonstrating applications on real aerospace components. Planned outputs include ground and flight-test demonstrators, validated routes for using recycled metal powder, and new in-process monitoring software to ensure quality.
For GKN Aerospace, a key partner, the project is a strategic investment. The company will integrate DECSAM’s technologies to prove the cost-effectiveness of powder bed AM for future engine components, focusing on new materials and advanced in-situ inspection techniques.
“This project strengthens our broader additive manufacturing capabilities, delivering environmental, performance, and supply chain advantages,” said Sébastien Aknouche, SVP of Material Solutions at GKN Aerospace. “It enhances our UK technology base and positions us for future production growth.”
Ultimately, DECSAM aims to create a digitally connected, UK-based AM supply chain capable of producing repeatable, certifiable parts at a competitive serial production cost. By making sustainable 3D printing a viable mainstream option, the programme seeks to strengthen Britain’s aerospace manufacturing resilience while supporting the industry’s crucial transition to cleaner aviation.
