Aerospace & Defense Technology - December 2022 - 6

Additive Manufacturing
Another example is a microturbine
for a drone. An original
design for conventional manufacturing
had 61 parts; the AM
version consolidated them into
just one. Purdue University has
recently announced work on
hypersonics propulsion-of
understandable interest to the
Department of Defense-using
3D-printed parts.
The quality of product now
achievable using advanced LPBF
systems, combined with the economics
apparent in these examples,
are making the case for AM much clearer.
A volute
developed by
Launcher for its E-2
engine. The component
is a closed-cycle 3D-printed,
high-performance liquid rocket
engine in development for the
company's Light launch vehicle.
A typical conventional-to-AM conversion
might focus on a scavenge-tube
component that dips into an engine
sump for oil recirculation. The original
is made up of eight separate parts, welded
together; moving to AM consolidates
those into a single component, eliminating
eight potential sources of variation,
and bypassing extended time spent in
welding and brazing.
Outsource to CMs First, Then Taking
AM In-House
The larger names in aerospace have
started to invest in AM in a big way.
SpaceX has certainly taken the lead, as
mentioned, and others are announcing
their intentions to increase their commitment
to the technology. Many begin
exploring AM by outsourcing to contract
manufacturers with expertise in 3D
printing and finishing; later, they may
purchase AM systems for direct use in
their own facilities.
Now that the more advanced systems
are delivering on the AM promise of geometric
flexibility and precision, OEMs are
seeing significant acceleration in their
development programs. This summer,
Pratt & Whitney, part of Raytheon Technologies,
purchased a Velo3D Sapphire
system (which includes print-preparation
software, the printer itself, and embedded
monitoring and quality control software).
P&W is evaluating the technology
for manufacturing production jet-engine
components for their GTF™ and
advanced engine programs.
P&W are experienced users of AM,
much of which they'd been outsourcing
to contract manufacturers for printing
and finishing. While they plan to continue
taking advantage of that resource,
their newest system will be located
in-house at the Raytheon Technologies
Research Center. Raytheon is a launch
participant of President Biden's AM Forward
initiative.
Lockheed Martin has also recently
added an advanced LPBF system to its
Additive Design & Manufacturing Center,
which pilots new AM technologies
for production deployments in the company's
Space division.
Upstarts Start Up With AM
In the innovative world of aerospace,
size of company matters less than in
the past when AM is part of the picture.
Smaller enterprises such as Aerojet Rocketdyne,
a supplier to NASA; Launcher, a
satellite-launch startup; even a teenage
schoolboy whose one-piece aerospike
engine is soon to undergo ignition testing-all
of these have achieved headlines
Now-20-year-old rocket designer Ewan Craig with his aerospike engine (right). Part consolidation made
possible by advanced metal laser powder-bed fusion enabled the high schooler to design a multifunctional
component that was 3D-printed as a single piece.
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in the past year thanks to 3D printing.
* Aerojet Rocketdyne has been providing
NASA with 3D-printed end-use components
for a variety of projects, among
them the massive RS-25 engines that
will carry the Artemis mission to the
Moon (with a goal of placing the first
unmanned Orion lunar module into
orbit this year) and later Mars.
NASA has half the budget than it did
in the 1960s; recent progress is due, in
no small part, to advances in 3D printing.
According to James Horton, aerospace
engineer and mission architect
at Aerojet Rocketdyne, " As with any
complex endeavor, the more affordable
you can make it, the greater the
chance that you will ensure its completion.
Metal AM plays a key role in
achieving these goals. "
Aerospace & Defense Technology, December 2022

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Aerospace & Defense Technology - December 2022

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