3DPrintingIndustry.com by Beau Jackson September 20th 2017
Toward the development of its next generation space exploration vehicles, NASA has significantly ramped up efforts to incorporate 3D printing in component design.
In July, the administration’s engineers performed 30 firing tests of a bi-metallic 3D printed rocket igniter at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. After analysis at the University of Alabama, researchers found that the two alloys, based in copper and Inconel, fused to form a strong bond.
The demonstration has provided NASA with a promising alternative to conventional manufacturing methods, key to the momentum of its future space craft.
Bi-metallic and hybrid machined
The igniter, a part used to initiate the start sequence of a rocket engine, was hybrid machined on a metal 3D printing/CNC milling system from DMG MORI. Combing the two metals within the build chamber of a 3D printer did however pose a significant challenge to the team, as it required the management of different properties and melting points unique to copper and Inconel. Preston Jones, head of the Engineering Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center, commented “It is a technological achievement to 3D print and test rocket components made with two different alloys.”
More:
https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/nasa-engineers-test-first-multi-alloy-3d-printed-rocket-part-121517/
