Aerospace & Defense Technology - June 2021 - 44

Application Briefs
SENER Aeroespacial has been supplying high-performance
aerospace systems for space, defense and science for more
than 50 years. In space, it supplies electromechanical components
and systems, navigation systems (GNC/AOCS), communications,
astronomy and optics systems, and it is currently
participating in the main programs of ESA and NASA (including
Euclid, Meteosat Third Generation, Solar Orbiter, JUICE,
Proba-3, Hubble, Galileo, Rosetta, Gaia, Herschel and Planck,
Portable 3D Printing Factory
ExOne
North Huntington, PA
1.877.773.9663
www.exone.com
T
he ExOne Company, which specializes in industrial
sand and metal 3D printers using
binder jetting technology, was awarded a U.S. Department
of Defense contract to develop a fully
operational, self-contained 3D printing " factory "
housed in a shipping container. Currently under
development, the rugged 3D printing factory pod
would be set up in a standard shipping container,
up to 40 feet long, to be deployed directly in the
field, via land, sea or air, to manufacture parts to
support war theaters, disaster relief, or other remote
operations. ExOne's 3D printers can produce
parts in more than 20 metal, ceramic or composite materials.
Awarded
by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in August,
the $1.6 million contract will focus specifically on improving
the ruggedness of ExOne's commercially available binder jet
3D printers for a wide range of operating conditions while
maintaining exacting final part quality. Additionally, the project
will aim to simplify use of the technology in the field with
software and training, so the pod can be used with minimal
technical knowledge.
As part of the project, ExOne is developing a special military-edition
3D printer that is capable of binder jet 3D printing
more than 20 metal, ceramic and other powder materials
into direct final products or tooling. The upgraded commercial
3D printer will have a unique body style and other features
that will make it a rugged, military-grade product.
By enabling a military team on-site to 3D print parts as needed,
the downtime in a crisis can be reduced from weeks or months
to only a few days or less, while also reducing military costs. Ideally,
military personnel would 3D print a digital file of a broken
or damaged part and have a finished product in less than 48
hours without conventional tooling in the self-contained pod.
This approach would save critical time (machined tooling to
create parts typically takes 4-6 weeks), while also reducing waste
and the need to carry expensive inventory in crisis zones.
A digital library of parts for 3D printing can be stored electronically,
as opposed to racks of spare parts in a storage
44
Cov
IXV, BepiColombo and Mars 2020) and the European Southern
Observatory.
In the commercial space market, SENER Aeroespacial is a
supplier of telemetry and telecommand antennas and a regular
supplier of all types of antennas, passive equipment, and
radio frequency assets for international manufacturers of
communications satellites.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79414-513
depot. When a digital file is not available for older parts, the
item can easily be 3D scanned and printed in the field. What's
more, parts to solve unique problems in the field could also be
designed digitally and 3D printed as needed.
ExOne's binder jet 3D printing transforms powdered materials
- metal, sand or ceramic - into highly dense and functional
precision parts at high speeds. An industrial printhead
selectively deposits a binder into a bed of powder particles creating
a solid part one thin layer at a time, similar to printing
on sheets of paper. The technology is viewed as a desirable
and sustainable production method, largely because of its
high speed, low waste and cost, as well as material flexibility.
ExOne has qualified more than 20 metal, ceramic and composite
materials for its patented binder jetting process.
To speed development of the rugged 3D printing pod,
ExOne will collaborate with several partners with unique
engineering expertise on the project:
* Dynovas, Inc., based in Dover, DE, which specializes in materials
engineering, composites manufacturing, and DoD
weapons systems.
* Applied Composites - San Diego, a leading provider of complex
composite components, assemblies, engineering, and
tooling to the aerospace, defense, and space systems markets.
AC-SD's Reinforced Additively Manufactured Compression
Assisted Molding (RAMCAM) system is an enabler to
the current pod project.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/79414-464
www.aerodefensetech.com
ToC
Aerospace & Defense Technology, June 2021
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