Aerospace 3D Printing Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Perfect 3D Printing Filament

Pratt & Whitney To 3D Print Aero-engine MRO Component With ST Engineering

The company Pratt & Whitney, which designs, manufactures, services aircraft engines and auxiliary power units, is teaming up with ST Engineering to develop a 3D printed aero-engine component into its MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) operations. The 3D printed aero-engine is projected to be part of the repair process by mid-2020.

Both companies are trying to introduce 3D printing technology to obtain a faster and more flexible repair solution. Pratt & Whitney’s repair specialist Component Aerospace Singapore (CAS) is also contributing to this project. Considering the expertise of the three companies: the engine part repair for combustion chambers that CAS provides; the design and engineering that Pratt & Whitney contributes; and the experience in applying 3D printing to land transport systems of ST Engineering, the MRO component project looks promising.

The 3D printed part has been already manufactured and it will be used on a Pratt & Whitney engine, on the engine’s fuel system component. Together, the three companies worked side by side to complete and review the technical dataset as to, not only meet Pratt & Whitney’s quality requirements, but also the use of the part in compliance with the aviation regulations. The 3D printed part is said to “offer an added advantage of reducing dependency on current material supply from conventional fabrication processes.” Pratt & Whitney believe that this proves that additive manufacturing could impact the MRO sector at large.

Chin-Huat Sia, Principal Engineer of CAS, said: “3D printing will be a game-changer for the MRO industry worldwide, especially in servicing even more commercial engines. This technology enables greater flexibility in our inventory management. Following this trailblazing initiative, both Pratt & Whitney and ST Engineering will examine how additive manufacturing can be applied for other aviation components and other engine types, and further developed to enable hybrid repairs and realize the full potential of 3D printing for commercial aftermarket operations.”

Brendon McWilliam, Executive Director of Aftermarket Operations in Asia Pacific, added: “Thanks to the out-of-the-box thinking by our employees at Component Aerospace Singapore, we are now another step closer to scaling the technology to meet our growing aftermarket operations, and industrializing 3D printing for the industry. This ground-breaking innovation is part of the wider technology roadmap by Pratt & Whitney to introduce advanced technologies that integrate artificial intelligence, robotics and automation across our operations as part of our digital transformation.”

Tan Chor Kiat, ST Engineering’s Senior VP of Kinetics Design & Manufacturing commented that: “To 3D print an aero-engine component for a working air turbine engine is a first for us. This also demonstrates our advanced capability to offer a full turnkey manufacturing solution which not only includes production-level 3D printing, but also post processes such as heat treatment and machining.”

This is not the first component in the aviation industry to be 3D printed. Since 2018, GE Aviation, has been using 3D printing technology for quite a while to make components for their jet engines,and has been testing and developing their GE Catalyst, over one third of this advanced turboprop engine was 3D printed by using a variety of metals.

Image by Yari Bovalino for GE Reports

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Boeing 777x Takes First Flight with over 600 3D-Printed Parts

Sunday saw the maiden flight of the Boeing 777X, marking an important date in the history of 3D printing for the twin GE9X engines driving the aircraft. Each GE9X features roughly 300 3D-printed parts made by GE Additive’s Technology Center in Ohio and the team at Avio Aero in Italy. The event was so momentous that Boeing tracked the flight live that day.

An upgrade to the Boeing 777, launched in 1994, the 777X is instantly recognizable for its carbon fiber, folding wing tips, which allow the craft to park in the same bays as other planes. The 777X is being billed as the largest and most fuel-efficient twin-engine jet on the planet, due to a 10 percent decrease in fuel use and emissions. One might wonder the worth of celebrating the flight of a new aircraft, given the massive carbon footprint of the aerospace industry, but, unless flying becomes more heavily regulated, any improvement in emissions is worth noting.

This reduction in emissions was achieved in part by a new aerodynamic design and the GE9X engines. As wide as the body of a Boeing 737, the GE9X is the world’s largest engine on any commercial plane. This size was achieved through the use of advanced fiber composites that made it possible to drop the number of blades in the system from 22, as seen in the GE90, to just 16. In addition, the GE9X features the now famous 3D-printed fuel nozzle, which reduced part count from 20 to just one.

A GEnx engine on a test stand in Peebles, Ohio. Image courtesy of GE Aviation.

Other features, such as the use of light and heat-resistant ceramic composites for the engine shroud, not only result in increased weight and fuel savings, but also render the GE9X the most powerful engine on any commercial aircraft. It delivers up to 100,000 pounds of thrust.

After the GE9X underwent a test flight in March 2018, they have been outfitted onto a 777x, which was scheduled for its first take-off on Saturday, January 25, but delayed due to weather. The following day, the aircraft took off from and landed at Boeing Field outside of Seattle.

The Boeing 777X is competing with the Airbus A350 XWB, in terms of size, performance and number of 3D-printed parts. The A350 already features over 1,000 3D-printed parts, including cabin parts made using Stratasys technology, titanium pylon brackets, and a cabin spacer 3D printed by Materialise. What it doesn’t have is a recent history of catastrophic engine failures associated with the 737 MAX engines.

This latest PR event may help some tech enthusiasts forget the recent tragedies associated with the 737 MAX, but the company will have to do more to gain the reassurance of the FAA, its customers and the public. Naturally, the FAA has said that it will ensure a rigorous review of the aircraft, after its neglect over the 737 Max, and Boeing has said that it will also perform thorough testing to achieve FAA certification. Emirates, the aircraft’s launch customer, has said that it wants the plane to be put through “hell on Earth” during testing.

The 777X is expected to enter service in 2021, which is a year later than originally scheduled. The A350, on the other hand, has already begun flying.

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The Year in Review: The 3D Printing Research Frontiers of 2019—from Medicine to the Moon

The gift of human life is so miraculous that you may find yourself overwhelmed with the complexity of it all if you think too long. The fact that we have streamlined machines for bodies, with numerous efficient, connected systems continually at work within us—from the respiratory system to the nervous system and much more—is extraordinary, to say the least.

You may feel the same way about much technology today too, and understandably so with 3D printing—along with robotics, virtual reality, and even 4D printing. Attempting to comprehend how an inventor like Chuck Hull arrived at the concept of creating such software, hardware, and materials running on so many levels and systems will have you shaking your head. But what about the amazing number of innovations that have come forth via users since the arrival of the first 3D printer in 1983?

3D printed bust of Hull, printed on a 3D Systems ProJet x60 printer, and his famed first 3D printer, the SLA-1.(Photo: National Inventors Hall of Fame)

Researchers today delve deeply not only into what makes the human body tick, but also how to understand, create, and use intricate technology that helps them forge ahead in making discoveries and creating new products and tools for critical applications. And while the medical realm has been heavily impacted by research in 2019 especially, so have many other areas. Beginning with medicine, here are five areas of research that have been the focus of major headlines this year:

Medicine

The innovations within the field of medicine brought forth by 3D printing this year have been spectacular, fascinating—and again, almost beyond comprehension in some ways—for those of us who don’t spend our days in think tanks or in front of microscopes.

It is undeniable that much about 3D printing is fun and games; after all, today you may find a 3D printer in many elementary schools with children learning how to make small objects and trinkets, and you may even find surprisingly young students in your local library in the afternoon or early evening sitting in labs making 3D designs on their own, then watching intently as the layers print one by one from a desktop 3D printer. This is how initial interest turns into a passion for learning and creating, and many of those students may go on to print medical devices such as prosthetics or work on other research projects.

The subject of 3D printing becomes much weightier, however, when we look into the important research that is being done to help patients who may be on the brink of losing their lives–or the quality of life they had always known previously. Researchers are intent on finding better ways to treat patients, especially those who are suffering from cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

3D models can be made to replicate tumors and help surgeons in many ways, from diagnosis and education of patients and their families to helping medical students train, but ultimately surgeons may be able to prepare for some of the most innovative procedures they have ever performed. A 3D model may be with them for a long period of time, spanning from the time of diagnosis until the time it serves as a surgical guide in the operating room for a procedure centered around pediatric orthopedics, as an example.

Over this past year, medical inventors created a host of implants, devices, and more. And from nearly every reach of the world (developed and still developing), volunteers researched ways to help those in need to receive 3D printed prosthetics, as e-NABLE celebrated their eighth anniversary of helping others.

Happy Eighth Anniversary, e-NABLE! (Photo: e-NABLE)

The potential for 3D printed medications continued to emerge also, along with assorted peripheral devices like dispensers. Bioprinting is the standout highlight this year, again, without question though, and although scientists have not reached the true point of printing replacement organs for the human body that will replace the need for donors and waiting lists, they have continued to create incredibly life-life and useful 3D printed models for treatment and training, a 3D printed titanium sternum for a patient desperately in need, and even a mini-heart-part.

A 3D printed mini-heart (Photo: BIOLIFE4D)

This area of 3D printing is only expected to expand further in 2020, and eventually, researchers will reach the holy grail of bioprinting and manufacturing human organs.

(Photo: BIOLIFE4D)

Materials: 3D Printing with Metal & Composites

While researchers in labs continue to create their own software and hardware to complete complicated research studies (often making modifications to existing 3D printers or using open source ware), the study of materials has expanded far beyond what we would have imagined years ago. Today, not only is 3D printing with metal continuing to grow, researchers are learning more about composites that can strengthen metal powders, like particle reinforced metal composites, helpful in major applications and industries like aerospace, automotive and much more.

Schematic of nanoparticle distribution in TiC/Ti nanocomposite powders produced by ball milling and direct mixing, prepared for SLM. (Photo: Singapore University of Technology and Design)

Combinations of additives and metals (as well as polymers) open up even more options to scientists, but also manufacturers in nearly every industry, from carmakers to the military. 3D printing with metal in space has been a focal point for researchers too, advancing in the micro- or zero-gravity environment.

Aerospace

Scientists never seem to tire of research regarding space travel, colonization, materials for building on-demand away from Earth, and so much more. While of course much of the research is driven by NASA, the public is continually fascinated by the idea of traveling to Mars in the near future—or any type of space colonization, which of course must be accompanied by a variety of options in construction, to include robotics. Again, materials and composites are an important area of study for researchers, such as sintering thermoset composites at high temperatures, and other research into aerospace technology.

From ‘Sintering Thermoset Composites at High Temperatures for Aerospace Applications‘ (Image: ‘Laser Sintering of Thermoset Polyimide Composites’)

Many different engine components have been created too, along with extensive research studies regarding engine thrusters and other parts for optimizing rockets and satellite technology.

Construction

While the reality of 3D printed housing being available to all in the very near future may be a stretch, advances have been made in the fabrication of constructions on all levels from offices to nice houses to tiny homes and possible affordable housing.

[Image: 3DPrinthuset]

Massive 3D printers have been manufactured by researchers in numerous countries, with the idea of offering incredible benefits to construction companies such as affordability, on-demand (and rapid) production, less need for men on the job, and more. These printers may also be capable of creating entire communities quickly.

The WASP 3D printer will fabricate circular, affordable housing. (Image: WASP 3D)

Harkening back to the study of materials, concrete is of ongoing interest as researchers find a multitude of ways to extrude what has always been a very conventional substance. Now, scientists are making alternatives for construction such as concrete foam panels, geo-polymer concrete meant to replace conventional manufacturing methods, along with creating more lightweight spatial structures—using one of the greatest benefits in 3D printing as much lighter parts can be made—and often, parts that simply were not possible to create before at all via traditional techniques.

Concrete foam panels (Photo: ‘Fiber-reinforced lightweight foamed concrete panels suitable for 3D printing applications’)

Energy and Power Generation

From porous anodes to new techniques for creating batteries, researchers continue to find new ways to store energy—as well as creating it. Wind turbines have received a lot of attention from the 3D printing realm, as parts can be created and maintained easier. Scientists around the globe are trying to figure out better ways to use wind turbines, as they have an endless source of energy but historically can be expensive and challenging to deal with overall. With 3D printing, researchers have been able to explore ways to refine smaller wind turbine designs too.

Force and velocity vector acting on the cross-section of a HAWT blade, θ⌢ is the tangential direction of the blade. (Photo: ‘Small wind generation using complex airfoil turbine’}

What do you think of this review of 2019 research in 3D printing? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

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Interview with Lockheed: “Orion Spacecraft Has 200 3D Printed Components”

In 2006, NASA selected Lockheed Martin to design, develop, and build Orion, set to embark on both manned and unmanned missions, it is the agency’s newest deep space exploration spaceship that will eventually carry astronauts from the Earth to the Moon, and back. As part of a plan to extend a sustained human presence beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), advance commerce and science in space, the Artemis program is the next step in human space exploration and a part of NASA’s broader Moon to Mars approach. In 2022, the Orion crew capsule is expected to take astronauts on a ride beyond LEO, to the Moon and back, and in five years it will transport the next people to a lunar orbital post.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft has been using additive manufacturing technologies exponentially. Lockheed Martin and NASA recently announced the completion of the Orion crew and service module being developed for the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which used 100 3D printed parts. While the spacecraft for the Artemis II mission has Lockheed developing close to 200 3D printed parts.

The Orion crew module for Exploration Mission 1 that will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on its first uncrewed integrated flight (Image credit: NASA)

Last September, NASA, and Lockheed finalized a contract for the production and operations of six Orion spacecraft missions with an option to order up to 12 in total. The agency’s Orion Production and Operations Contract (OPOC) is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for NASA to issue both cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-price orders. Initially, NASA has ordered three Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions III through V for $2.7 billion. Then in 2022, the agency plans to order three additional Orion spacecraft for Artemis missions VI through VIII for $1.9 billion. Up to six additional Orion spacecraft may be ordered under the IDIQ contract through 2030, leveraging spacecraft production cost data from the previous six missions to enable the lowest possible unit prices.

During an interview with Lockheed Martin Space’ specialists Brian Kaplun, Manager of the Additive Manufacturing Lab, and Colin Sipe, Orion Crew Systems Senior Manager, 3DPrint.com delved into the makings of America’s next spacecraft for a new generation of explorers.

How has additive manufacturing helped in the creation of more efficient spacecraft?

“One of the tenants of advanced manufacturing is to increase the cost and the schedule efficiency for any of our platforms, including Orion, and doing so in a way that, at the very least, maintains parity from a technical perspective but in many cases enhances that. So a lot of the work we’ve done with Orion was targeted to allow for a more efficiently reusable, cost-competitive and faster time to delivery spacecraft that will have a better technical performance. For example our docking hatch covers were printed in a cost and schedule effective manner; additionally, thanks to a new ESD compliant polymer (a type of no-static plastic) we provided more technical performance as well,” suggested Kaplun. “AM is one tool in the advance manufacturing toolbox that really allows us to hit all three of those valuable points. The plan is to continue creating AM components that we already utilized and look at increasing the number.”

While Colin Sipe explained that “we do a lot of parts that would be traditionally difficult to produce, such as structural components and brackets, different parts to channel airflow, or fuel containers, like hydrogen fuel tanks. Moreover, on the seats that the astronauts will use on Orion, we 3D printed different spacers (parts that go between the edge of the seat and the hip of the astronaut) and those come in various sizes based on the astronaut using it. We have to be able to accommodate from 1 to 99th percentile of the average American size individual.”

Do 3D printed parts withstand some of the harshest conditions in space?

“We fully qualify any of our spacecraft and platforms, and it is a qualification born of many years of doing this. On 2011 we launched the first-ever 3D printed part going to outer space on our Juno mission and right now those parts are orbiting the gas giant. So just as rigorous as we did in 2011, here in the last throes of 2019 we have to go through and really qualify any of the Orion parts. Even more so, with future manned missions, we are going to further stress those qualifications. Its a challenge that we are very experienced in and really believe we are up for,” claimed Kaplun. “Experience in any way, shape or form is going to be a competitive advantage for Lockheed.”

How do you choose the design for the 3D printed parts?

“We have produced many different parts for our customers that almost have an organic shape to them and so if you look at some of the new designs where you are optimizing for strength in terms of weight and producibility, you will observe that they mimic the bones in your arm like a very evolved and efficient method of support. If we look at some of the structural brackets that we have done, they almost have a tree or a skeletal structure look to them, that is a very unique mindset or would have been a unique mindset when we were looking at the substractive and traditional manufacturing. But now that people are being trained for AM, we notice that there are a lot more technically complex designs. Some of the ESD parts that we made for Orion would be virtually imposible ot make any other way,” revealed Kaplun. “Now, we are able to combine a large number of other parts into one piece and eliminate a lot of the fasteners and the weight that otherwise would have been a parasitic load, providing greater opportunities to put payloads and scienitic instruments onto our platforms.”

In what way does 3D printing drive down spacecraft costs?

“We try for a really ambitious cost reduction, aiming at 50%. Over the last year, we printed roughly 6,500 parts across our entire space division. Recently we even used AM technology to develop mockups for tests, such as the toilet that will be used on Orion, called the UWMS,” proposed Sipe. “We were concerned about one area of interference so we printed the entire mockup of the toilet and put it into the flight vehicle to verify that we could reach and access the bolts. The size of that toilet is probably two feet in diameter and three feet tall, so it was a very large piece to produce.”

How does Lockheed factor in sustainability when 3D printing its pieces?

Kaplun indicated that at Lockheed, engineers are “very proud of how sustainable our technology is. Our polymer builds can be recycled and reused if needed, the powder bed processes are extremely efficient and the industry as a whole is considered very sustainable and cost-efficient from a materials perspective. Some of the waste for our additive processes can be lower than five percent. When you compare that to some of the subtractive and traditional manufacturing applications, those numbers flip completely, producing 90% waste.”

Would you be able to convey how many AM parts were used for Orion?

“We made 200 components for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft. While the Artemis I had over 100 printed pieces and the previous version had only four 3D printed parts. This reveals that only one spacecraft generation later, we were able to double the amount of 3D printed parts,” reported Sipe.

A 3D printed titanium part for NASA’s Orion spacecraft (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

What can we expect to see during the Artemis II mission scheduled for late 2020?

“Our next mission will launch Orion on a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which will be the largest rocket ever built as far as liftoff power. Next year we can expect an unmaned service module to travel to the lunar orbit where it will stay for a month, carry out significant checkouts of all of our modules and will be the first launch on the new rocket. Once it returns to Earth, we will recover it, take it apart, see what we can reuse, what we need to make some improvements on, and at the same time, we’ll be getting ready for our Artemis II mission, with the first astronauts flying on 2022. Then, Artemis III in 2024, will take astronauts to Gateway, a small space station in the lunar orbit, and from there to a human landing system that will put the first woman and next man on the Moon surface. This will be the first of many missions to the Moon’s south pole, where bases and moon mining will begin,” said Sipe.

Are there more engineers interested in AM technology applications?

According to Kaplun, there has been much interest in AM: “we are witnessing a lot of students and scholars contributing to the design space, coming into our engineering and production ranks with a lot of previous work in the field, with new ideas and new abilities to utilize the tools that we can now offer.”

As an engineer, how do you change your mindset to produce something from a subtractive standpoint to an additive one?

“We are starting to corrupt the threshold as we are beginning to design parts that can only be made via the additive route, whereby in the past we would sort of take something that was designed for a normal conventional machine and then transition it to the additive world,” told Sipe. “Today we are generating designs that we know the only way they can be made is through AM. There are certain parts of the spacecraft that couldn’t be done with other technologies, such as hollow, organically grown on the printer parts that create new opportunities for us.”

3D printed Orion docking hatch cover (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

What 3D printing technologies are being used at Lockheed?

“We have a very large gamut of different types of technologies to make the 3D printed parts for Orion, the docking hedge covers were made on Stratasys FDM printers, but we also use a lot of metal powder bed technologies in various forms as well as different polymer technologies,” the experts proposed.

3D printed Orion docking hatch cover made of PEKK thermoplastic (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

So what lays ahead for the aerospace company?

“We just got into a long term production contract with NASA for the six upcoming spacecraft missions, so I believe it is our goal to make even more 3D printed parts for spacecraft. A big focus of the contract was to dramatically reduce per-vehicle costs and the major ways of doing that was by having reusable Orion crew modules and systems, using advanced manufacturing technologies, material and component bulk buys and an accelerated mission cadence. I consider that AM is a large part of reducing the cost and increasing the cadence of how often we fly,” enlightened Kaplun.

Both Kaplun and Sipe consider that the “Orion spacecraft is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.”

The completed Orion spacecraft crew module at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

With work well underway on both the Artemis I and II rockets, with core stage assembly nearly complete at Michoud, Orion will leave Lockheed for testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, in Mississippi.

Sipe concluded that: “In 1981, NASA wanted to move back into deep space so since 1981 we were flying the space shuttle, and physically could not go outside the Earth’s orbit, the Apollo was the last spacecraft that physically could leave the gravity of the Earth and move into deep space, and NASA had a desire for mankind to return. Orion is the only spacecraft development that is a true exploration class spacecraft. It’s not like any other, it has unique capabilities never before seen and even though the capsule is a heritage of the Apollo mission, its actually far superior.”

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3D Printing News Briefs: November 25, 2019

We’re finishing the week out with some more formnext news for 3D Printing News Briefs: Poly-Shape presented a metal 3D printed Francis Turbine at the event. Moving on, Etihad Engineering opened a 3D printing lab for aircraft parts with EOS and BigRep, and Y Soft launched an online collection of 3D lessons for educators.

Poly-Shape’s 3D Printed Francis Turbine

At formnext 2019 last week, French company Poly-Shape presented something rather unique: a 72 kg Francis Turbine made with its Directed Energy Deposition-powder (DED-P) metal 3D printing technology. Turbine components are often used in the aerospace and energy industries, and DED-P printing can be used to fabricate the raw part, with its complex geometry, in less than 3 days; in fact, the Francis Turbine was printed in just 55 hours.

“The DED-P process is operated within a 5-axis CNC machine thanks to a material depositing system,” a Poly-Shape press release stated.

“By minimizing the needed allowance (typically < 1,5 mm), the part machining is reduced to finishing operation. In case of hard to access areas, the DED and the machining production can be sequenced such as the tool accessibility would be released.”

Etihad’s 3D Printing Lab for Aircraft Parts

Bernhard Randerath, VP Design, Engineering & Innovation, Etihad Engineering; Abdul Khaliq Saeed, CEO, Etihad Engineering; Markus Glasser, SVP EOS; H.E. Ernst Peter Fischer, German Ambassador to the UAE; Marie Langer, CEO EOS; Tony Douglas, Group CEO Etihad Aviation Group; Martin Black, CEO BigRep.

Etihad Engineering, a division of the Etihad Aviation Group, partnered with EOS and BigRep to open a 3D printing lab. It’s one of the first airline MROs in the Middle East that’s received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for designing, producing, and certifying cabin parts made with powder bed fusion technology, two years after receiving approval for filament 3D printing. The laboratory is located at the Etihad Engineering facility, adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport, and houses two industrial 3D printers – the EOS P 396 and the BigRep ONE. It was opened officially in a ceremony last week, and in recognition of the relationships between Etihad, EOS, and BigRep, was attended by His Excellency Ernst Peter Fischer, German Ambassador to the UAE.

“The launch of the new facility is in line with Etihad Engineering’s position as a leading global player in aircraft engineering as well as a pioneer in innovation and technology,” said Bernhard Randerath, VP Design, Engineering and Innovation for Etihad Engineering. “We are extremely proud to collaborate with EOS and BigRep to expand our capability and support the UAE’s strategy to increase production technology and cement its position as a global aerospace hub.”

Y Soft Launches be3D Academy for Educators

The Y Soft Corporation has launched its be3D Academy, available as part of its YSoft be3D eDee 3D printing solution for education. There are many benefits to using classroom 3D printing as a tool for learning, and adoption in schools is growing fast, but developing lesson plans that incorporate the technology can be difficult, due to lack of knowledge or access. The company’s new online collection of teacher-tested 3D lesson plans in STEAM subjects make it easy for educators to teach in 3D. The be3D Academy lesson plans provide tools like student worksheets, presentations, video tutorials, and 3D model files, all of which can be made on the YSoft be3D eDee printer with its certified filaments.

“3D printing is particularly valuable in the classroom to convey complex subjects. When students can touch and adjust physical objects they have created, understanding increases. Comprehension of STEAM subjects can be difficult, and be3D Academy’s lessons make concepts interesting and fun. be3D Academy lesson plans range from creating castles to understanding geometric shapes and volumes to creating a Da Vinci bridge as a science learning project,” said Elke Heiss, the Y Soft Chief Marketing Officer.

The be3D Academy is open to all educators looking to add 3D printing to their classrooms.

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.

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Origin Teams with Henkel for Aerospace-Grade 3D Printing Resin

Ahead of Formnext 2019, 3D printing startup Origin has announced a new partnership with German chemical company Henkel, which has resulted in a new resin designed to meet aerospace fire safety standards.

Origin, as you may remember from our interview with its CEO, has developed a novel DLP technology dubbed programmable photopolymerization (P³) that doesn’t rely on oxygen passively or actively to make the 3D printing process work. This opens up the process to a broader portfolio of resins beyond acrylates and epoxies typically used with DLP and SLA technologies.

Parts printed by Orign’s technology using Henkel’s new resin.

This includes a new chemistry developed to meet UL’s 94V-0 fire safety standard and the ability to withstand 12 and 60 second vertical burn tests adhered to in the aerospace industry. While thermoplastic 3D printing has relied on varieties of PEEK, PEKK and PAEK to meet aerospace requirements, photopolymers are a different matter, with comparatively few thermosets developed that can withstand those rigid criteria.

For this reason, Henkel joined forces with Origin, who boast an open materials strategy in order to more quickly and more flexibly expand the variety of resins that are compatible with P³. Henkel, too, has an open materials approach, hoping to work directly with 3D printer companies to create new chemistries. HP has deployed a similar model for the same reasons. This stands in stark contrast with companies like 3D Systems and Formlabs, which develop materials in-house, thus limiting the variety available to customers, but increasing material-based revenue for the manufacturers.

Of this open materials philosophy, Origin CEO Chris Prucha said, “Since its inception, we have been committed to an open materials approach. We were able to specifically program the Origin One to meet the environmental conditions needed to cure the material in a way that activates Henkel’s innovative chemistry, creating 3D printed parts that set a new standard for fire resistance. It’s a perfect example of how open collaboration between technology providers and materials companies should work, and we’re excited about the opportunities it creates for our clients and their end users.”

Three Origin One 3D printers connected.

Origin has already begun shipping its Origin One 3D printers to customers and aims to enable mass additive production through the use of modular hardware and, later one, the introduction of automated solutions. P³ technology is billed by the company to maintain tight controls over light, temperature and other environmental variables, with prints optimized automatically in real-time. The extent to which this will impact the 3D printing industry and larger world of manufacturing remains to be seen, but it is an exciting technology nonetheless.

If you’ll be attending, Henkel will be exhibiting the new material at Formnext in Frankfurt, hall 12.1, booth C41

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Tuskegee University Selected by NASA to Advance Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace

The aerospace industry is a trendsetter when it comes to manufacturing. It is a major industry that evolved its expertise into lighter material, efficient engines and overall safer machines. Leveraging high technologies and reducing time-to-market is essential for the field to move forward, especially with a close future in the commercial development of low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond. NASA is now accelerating manufacturing needs in the US space sector by selecting three minority-serving institutions to advance aerospace manufacturing. The space agency announced last week that Tuskegee University, in Alabama, will be one of three universities awarded grants through its Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). Part of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, MUREP partnered with the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate to provide the students with the education and experience needed to help address manufacturing needs. Tuskegee will be looking into the impact of additive manufacturing on aerospace high-volume manufacturing and supply chain management.

“In recent years, the U.S. aerospace industry has struggled to meet the growing global demand for aircraft and parts, resulting in all-time-high order backlogs, unsustainable spare parts inventories, and lost opportunities for growth,” explained Firas Akasheh, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Tuskegee University and leader of the project as its principal investigator.

Through the project, entitled Impact of Additive Manufacturing on Aerospace High-Volume Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management: Workforce Alignment through Research and Training, faculty researchers and students at Tuskegee will collaborate with the Bell Helicopter team, an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Together, they will analyze current manufacturing and supply chain practices and develop executable 3D manufacturing plans for both helicopter and drone applications. In the drone track, university researchers will incorporate 3D printing into the design, build and test phases to improve the functionality and performance of these aircraft. The work will be conducted in increments to allow for continuous assessment of the quality performance of 3D printed parts.

Akasheh will lead a multidisciplinary research team that includes co-principal investigators Vascar Harris, a professor of aerospace science engineering; Mohammad Hossain, an associate professor of mechanical engineering; and Mandoye Ndoye, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

During the next two years, the project will provide students with innovative opportunities to learn about designing and building aerospace parts using high-volume manufacturing practices, as well as supply chain management. It will also help Tuskegee’s College of Engineering expand its existing additive manufacturing facilities and capabilities for the benefit of future academic and research efforts.

“3D printing offers an incredible advantage to current manufacturing shortfalls that risk the nation’s aerospace industry maintaining its competitive edge and meeting its strategic requirements,” Akasheh continued.

Image Credits: NASA

Indeed, Akasheh is on the right track: a 2019 Ernst and Young report suggests that aerospace and defense players are also increasingly adopting digital and advanced manufacturing technologies in the design and production of their products. Advanced manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, help them reduce supply chain lead time, improve reliability and productivity, and simplify designs. For example, to further enhance its advanced manufacturing capabilities, GE announced the acquisitions of Europe-based Arcam AB and Concept Lasers and is establishing a “GE Additive Customer Experience Center” in Germany. Among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Boeing has about 50,000 3D printed parts flying on its commercial, space, and military products. Airbus, on the other hand, is focusing on using AM for not only prototyping and parts manufacturing for a wide range of aircraft, but also for spare parts solutions. Simplifying engineering by using can improve time-to-market, quality, product reuse, significantly cut costs, and supply chain complexity.

Other minority-serving institutions funded through this NASA cooperative include the University of Texas at El Paso that proposed a southwest alliance for aerospace and defense manufacturing and talent development, and Virginia State University, in Petersburg, that will create a pilot program to advance all fronts of manufacturing in the sector.

The MUREP Aerospace High-Volume Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Cooperative will provide almost $1.5 million to fund curriculum-based learning, research, training, internships, and apprenticeships at all three institutions to meet the growing demand for expertise and techniques in high-volume aerospace manufacturing.

Tuskegee University students

For more than a decade, MUREP investments have enhanced the academic, research and technological capabilities of minority-serving institutions through multiyear grants. These institutions recruit and retain underrepresented and underserved students — including women, girls, veterans, and persons with disabilities — into STEM fields. Out of the total 3,289 enrolled students at Tuskegee, 62% are women, while 80% are Black. Encouragement and incentives are a great way to get people interested in the field of study. Additionally, if the gender gap in STEM careers will close sometime in the next 50 years, it will be with initiatives like MUREP that help us do it.

[Image credits: NASA and Tuskegee University]

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Interview with Scott Sevcik, VP Aerospace Stratasys, on 3D Printing for Aviation and Space

Out of all the possible industries that are deploying more 3D printers, aerospace is probably the most exciting. By reducing the weight of aircraft components, by iterating more, by integrating components and reducing part count and by making parts others can not, we can have a real impact on aerospace. From rocketry to commercial aviation, we’re seeing new applications grow across the board with OEMs and Tier 1 through 3 investing in qualifying parts and moving carefully into production. Stratasys has had a long history in making polymer aviation components, mainly for military applications. We interviewed Stratasys’ Vice President for the Aerospace Business Segment, Scott Sevcik, on what was happening in 3D printing for aerospace. Sevcik is an aerospace engineer who spent eight years at Lockheed in various engineering, project management, and business roles. He next worked in trying to deflect asteroids from hitting the earth and later worked at UTC aerospace, managing teams of 100 or more engineers and significant budgets before becoming their Manager Program Management. He then worked on MRO with 3D printing before working in various roles at Stratasys. He now manages their Aerospace business.

Sevcik was very enthusiastic about the prospects of both polymer and metal 3D printed parts for aviation and aerospace. Although Stratasys has worked behind the scenes extensively for military customers they were now really for the first time able to share some more public business cases. He really enjoyed working with Boom on their supersonic passenger plane initiative, for example. Sevcik connected with Boom over two and a half years previously. What started as a simple tooling engagement using Fortus systems evolved into much more.

“They were building up their factory” and “for the sake of speed started deploying 3D printing more extensively.”

He was happy that “very quickly it became a real partnership” and that he and his team were able to “work right there with them” and “dive in deep.” From the initial tooling, jigs and fixtures were also added to the project as was work on parts of Boom’s simulator aircraft. Now they’re looking at putting 3D printed parts on the actual model and later on the Boom aircraft. On the test vehicle alone there were “100’s of potential 3D printing applications, especially once the Boom team understood the technology comprehensively.”

Sevcik maintains that there is a “level of maturity with additive adequate for prototyping, tooling, and some parts on aircraft” but that many customers “see the risk on additive and see it as an unproven technology.” Now the industry is entering a different phase though, increasingly “you’re dealing with procurement people, the conversation is about risk reduction.” Especially for some applications, the combination of “Ultem 9085 for aircraft interiors with the Fortus 900mc system has a high level of maturity.”

“9085 is very useful when looking at the heat release from larger aircraft interior parts”, if “you’re looking at a foot by a foot parts or parts with more volume then let’s say a fist the heat release requirements of those parts makes 9085 a good material to use.”

As examples of such parts Scott cites “luggage bins, bulkheads, panels.” The company also has examples of parts being flown in business aircraft including serial production parts. Commuter aircraft parts, speaker enclosures and many more applications exist.

“Around 15 years ago Stratasys first got into tooling for aerospace and later into cabin interior.”

Other applications can be wholly new but Sevcik likes it when customers “challenge us” or “form a strong team with us.”

Sevcik can’t tell us much about Stratasys’ defense business lines. What is known is that the company has a strong defense base working with Lockheed, NASA and others. In military aviation repeatability on the 900mc has been demonstrated by the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and certified for parts for the Air Force. This year and a half process has led to “C5 and C130 parts being made.” Additionally, the United Launch Alliance, Atlas rocket has seen 3D printed ducting.

One other thing the company has been able to talk about is its Antero PEKK material. Sevcik says it’s especially useful for aerospace “because PEEK crystalizes so quickly” but with “Antero you have much more control over crystallinity” which lets you “make large PEKK parts.” Antero is “best suited for applications outside the cabin while Ultem is ideal for in it.”

“Filled Ultem grades can also be brittle and in some cases, semicrystalline PEKK can give a better fit depending on what you’re looking for.”

Antero can also be ESD safe which can extend its usefulness. He’s buoyed by their materials partnership with Solvay and thinks that Strategic Materials Partnerships strike the right balance between “open and closed.” It will “help expand the portfolio of materials….and give customers access to fully tuned closed systems.” Additionally, the company is looking at unlocking aerospace for “TPU” and “working with DSM on materials for SLA.”

Along with machine sales Stratasys is approaching the aviation market through its Stratasys Direct Service business and the Harvest unit which is AS 9100 certified. Many OEMs have “15% in house fabrication and outsource the rest to partners” and for these cases, OEMs want multiple partners. This means that in some cases Stratasys will work with partners and in some technically compete with them. Stratays wants to “support OEMs and help its partners and customers move into production” in this way it “meets OEMs and customers where they want to be met.”

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Researchers Run Simulation Tests on Their 3D Printed CubeSat Before LEO Mission

A pair of researchers from Shantou University in China explored designing and manufacturing a CubeSat with 3D printing, which we have seen in the past. CubeSats, which are basically miniaturized satellites, offer plenty of advantages in space exploration, such as low cost, a short research cycle, and more lightweight construction, but conventional methods of manufacturing often negate these. Using 3D printing to make CubeSats can help achieve accurate details as well.

[Image: ESA]

The researchers, Zhiyong Chen and Nickolay Zosimovych, recently published a paper on their work titled “Mission Capability Assessment of 3D Printing Cubesats.”

“With the successful development of integrated technologies, many spacecraft subsystems have been continuously miniaturized, and CubeSats have gradually become the main executors of space science exploration missions,” they wrote.

The main task driving research paper is an LEO, or Low Earth Orbit, CubeSat mission, which would need to accelerate to a maximum of 5 g during launch.

“…the internal operating temperature range of the CubeSat is from 0 to 40 °C, external temperature from -80 to 100 °C,” the researchers explained.

During the design process, the duo took into account environmental factors, the received impact load during the launch process, and the surrounding environment once the CubeSat reached orbit. Once they determined the specific design parameters, ANSYS software was used to simulate, analyze, and verify the design’s feasibility.

PLA was used to make the mini satellite, which is obviously shaped like a cube. Each cube cell, called a unit, weighs approximately 1 kg, and has sides measuring 10 cm in length.

“The framework structure for a single CubeSat provides enough internal workspace for the hardware required to run the CubeSat. Although there are various CubeSat structure designs, several consistent design guidelines can be found by comparing these CubeSats,” the researchers wrote about the structure of their CubeSat.

These guidelines include:

a cube with a side length of 100 mm
8.5 x 113.5 mm square columns placed at four parallel corners
usually made of aluminum for low cost, lightweight, easy machining

The CubeSat needs to be big enough to contain its power subsystem (secondary batteries and solar panels), in addition to the vitally important thermal subsystem, communication system for providing signal connections to ground stations back on Earth, ADCS, and CDH subsystems. It also consists of onboard antennae, radios, data circuit boards, a three-axis stability system, and autonomous navigation software.

“The adoption of this technology changes the concept of primary and secondary structure in the traditional design process, because the whole structure can be produced at the same time, which not only reduces the number of parts, reduces the need for screws and adhesion, but also improves the stability of the overall structure,” the pair wrote about using 3D printing to construct their CubeSat.

The mission overview for this 3D printed CubeSat explains that the device needs to complete performance tests on its camera payload for reliability evaluation, and test the effectiveness of any structures 3D printed “in an orbital environment.”

The Von mises stress diagram of the CubeSat structure.

In order to ensure that it’s ready to operate in LEO, the CubeSat’s structures was analyzed using ANSYS’ finite element analysis (FEA) software, and the researchers also performed a random vibration analysis, so that they can be certain it will hold up under the launch’s impact load.

“The CubeSat structure is validated by the numerical experiment. During launch process, CubeSat will be fixed inside the P-Pod, and the corresponding structural constraints should be added to the numerical model. In addition, the maximum acceleration impact during the launch process should also be considered. Static Structural module of ANSYS is used for calculation and analysis, the results show that the maximum stress of CubeSat Structure is 8.06 MPa, lower than the PLA yield strength of 40 Mpa,” the researchers explained.

Running in LEO, the 3D printed CubeSat will go through a 100°C temperature change, and the structure needs to be able to resist this, so the researchers also conducted a thermal shock test, which showed an acceptable thermal strain.

The thermal strain diagram of the CubeSat structure.

The team also conducted random vibration simulation experiments, so they could conform the structure of the 3D printed CubeSat to emission conditions. They simulated typical launch vibration characteristics, using NASA GEV qualification and acceptance as reference.

“The specific contents of the experiment include “Harmonic Response” and “Random Vibration”. Two identical harmonic response were performed before and after the random vibration test to assess the degree of structural degradation that may result from the launch load,” the researchers explained.

“This experiment helps us to evaluate the natural frequency of the structure, and the peak value indicates that the tested point (bottom panel) has reached the resonant frequency.”

Pre/Post Random Vibration test comparison between the curves of Harmonic Response.

As seen in the above figure, both the trend and peak points of the two curves are close to each other, which shows that there was no structural degradation after the vibration test, and that the structure itself conforms to launch stiffness specifications.

“As the primary performer of today’s space exploration missions, the CubeSat design considers orbit, payload, thermal balance, subsystem layout, and mission requirements. In this research, a CubeSat design for performing LEO tasks was proposed, including power budget, mass distribution, and ground testing, and the CubeSat structure for manufacturing was combined with 3D printing technology,” the researchers concluded.

“The results show that the CubeSat can withstand the launch loads without structural damage and can meet the launch stiffness specification.”

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3D Printing for Interplanetary Colonization with SpaceX

How to reduce the epic adventure of SpaceX into just a few paragraphs. One might think that focusing on 3D printing might do it, but not really, the company has headlined many news outlets with 3D printing innovations. It’s all a big part of Elon Musk’s long resume full of exceptional inventions often referencing something that has appeared in fiction, like electric autonomous cars, traveling to space, developing artificial intelligence and even trying to augment human brain’s capabilities. Musk’s plans get even bigger as the years go by, he even teased about making his own Iron Man suit when he was at a meeting with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter at the Pentagon in 2016, saying “Something about a flying metal suit…” on his Twitter account.

The billionaire and serial inventor has revolutionized the future of spaceflight, space colonization, as well as the economy of low Earth orbit and beyond. Last May, Air Force General Terrence O’Shaughnessy even said that Elon Musk’s SpaceX may have completely changed the ability to sense threats against America using satellite clusters in space. The exact expression was: “Holy smokes. Talk about being able to move the ball”. Yep, he actually said that about the launch of 60 small satellites by SpaceX at one time.

The company, which was founded in 2002, designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, with the ultimate goal of making interplanetary human life possible. The South African born businessman has publicly talked about venturing to Mars for over a decade, with plans of building a greenhouse on the Red Planet and, more ambitiously, establishing a colony.

The total journey time from Earth to Mars takes between 150 to 300 days depending on many factors, like the speed of the launch, the alignment of Earth and Mars, and how much fuel you’re willing and able to burn to get there. However, the scientists and engineers behind SpaceX are making the tour de force seem closer with every rocket launch, 3D printed engine, and orbit shuttle in development. Perhaps it all sounds too optimistic as the years go by and SpaceX has had a few setbacks along the way, but the continuous flow of NASA contracts are pushing the company into some serious research and development of some out of this world initiatives (literally of course), especially in 3D printing.

Dragon arrives at the International Space Station (ISS)

The truth is that whether it’s building bases with lunar dust or Mars sand; 3D printing CubeSats; taking bioprinters to space or actually sending the first crewed missions to the Red Planet with 3D printing capabilities on board, this new space race will be building the next generation of customizable products for use in orbit and Earth, with SpaceX leading the way.

Morgan Stanley estimates that the global space industry could generate revenue of more than $1 trillion by 2040, up from $350 billion, and SpaceX could be one of the biggest players of the industry. SpaceX along with competitors Blue Origin, Slingshot Aerospace, Rocket Lab and Relativity Space, have raised billions of dollars to create new rockets for launch to orbit.

“Through 3D printing, robust and high-performing engine parts can be created at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional manufacturing methods,” said Musk, Chief Designer and CEO of SpaceX, back in 2014 during the announcement of the completed testing of the SuperDraco thruster, an engine that will power the Dragon V2 spacecraft’s launch escape system and enable the vehicle to land propulsively on Earth or another planet with pinpoint accuracy, and turned out to be the first fully printed rocket engine to ever see flight.

Rocket with 60 Starlink satellites being launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

“SpaceX is pushing the boundaries of what additive manufacturing can do in the 21st century, ultimately making our vehicles more efficient, reliable and robust than ever before,” Musk suggested.

High-performing rocket parts can be created using 3D printing and offer improvements over traditional manufacturing methods. SpaceX is pushing the boundaries of what additive manufacturing can do hoping to make the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft more reliable, robust and efficient than ever before.

In 2014, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket with a 3D printed Main Oxidizer Valve (MOV) body in one of the nine Merlin 1D engines. According to the company, the mission marked the first time SpaceX had ever flown a 3D printed part, with the valve operating successfully with high-pressure liquid oxygen, under cryogenic temperatures and high vibration.

SpaceX’s Merlin engines during the launch of the Arabsat-6A satellite mission (Credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX claimed that compared with a traditionally cast part, a printed valve body has superior strength, ductility, and fracture resistance, with lower variability in materials properties. The MOV body was printed in less than two days, compared with a typical castings cycle measured in months. The valve’s extensive test program – including a rigorous series of engine firings, component-level qualification testing and materials testing – has since qualified the printed MOV body to fly interchangeably with cast parts on all Falcon 9 flights going forward.

SuperDraco engines

Another great example of how the company has been experimenting with 3D printing came with SpaceX’s SuperDraco thrusters, which were 100% 3D printed. The engine powered the Dragon spacecraft’s launch escape system and enabled the vehicle to land propulsively on Earth (and potentially on another planet in the future) with pinpoint accuracy. It was manufactured using state-of-the-art direct metal laser sintering (DMLS, Powder bed fusion), and the chamber was regeneratively cooled and printed in Inconel, a high-performance superalloy that offers both high strength and toughness for increased reliability.

SpaceX has been focusing on getting humans to Mars, which means they are building their reusable launch system, the Starship spacecraft. It will be powered by the Raptor engine, which is the highest thrust to weight engine ever made, as well as one of the first to go by methane and designed to be reused 1,000 times. According to SpaceX, the manufacturing process includes quite a few 3D printed parts allowing to reduce costs and making the production of lighter parts possible. The printed components include propellant valves, turbopump parts and parts of the injector system.

Elon Musk at SpaceX getting ready to fire the new Raptor rocket engine (Credit: Elon Musk via Twitter)

Some of the main challenges facing the company go from making light spaceships to efficient engines and even perfecting propulsive landing. In this regard, 3D Printing allows for a great reduction of production costs and enhances the thrust to weight ratio of the engines since it enables the production of lighter parts not possible through traditional methods. Another additional advantage of 3D printing engine components is the speed at which the design changes can be implemented, making the teams move faster through the iterations to achieve the desired output and in a shorter time span, compared to the weeks, or even months, it could take otherwise.

For many years, SpaceX has been evaluating the benefits of 3D printing and perfecting the techniques necessary to develop flight hardware, achieving some major successes along the way and even cooperating with other companies to take 3D printing system capabilities to orbit. With the additive manufacturing industry coming such a long way in the past decade, we can expect the company to continue working with the technology in achieving some of the incredible results it has up to now and continue to enlighten us with their vision of going to space. Keeping our faith that perhaps, in the future, we could all be part of the travel adventure of a lifetime, one that SpaceX began exploring 17 years ago.

[Images: SpaceX]

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