A key metal additive manufacturing technology development has transformed the aerospace manufacturing landscape. Collaborating scientists from InssTek and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) have built a 3-ton rocket nozzle system that utilizes Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology. The system shows unparalleled multi-material metal 3D printing abilities for crucial aerospace use cases.
Advancing Metal Additive Manufacturing
Implementing DED represents a key development in metal 3D printing abilities. Unlike historical manufacturing techniques or commonplace powder bed fusion processes, DED technology enables the processing of multiple materials simultaneously, providing frictionless transitions between different metals within a single component.
The ability to process multiple materials has proven especially valuable in aerospace use cases, where diverse material characteristics are needed within a single component.
Innovation in Material Integration
The development of the rocket nozzle system demonstrates the advanced material integration abilities of contemporary metal additive manufacturing. This innovation's core is a sophisticated bi-metallic structure that merges different materials to reach outstanding performance properties.
The nozzle's central body has an intricate design, with an interior structure made of Al-Bronze, a copper alloy chosen for its superior thermal characteristics. This interior construction merges cooling channels spaced at exact 1 mm intervals, a feat enabled by the precise control enabled by DED technology.
The nozzle’s exterior uses Inconel 625, a nickel alloy known for its structural strength and temperature resistance. This combination of materials represents the benefits of multi-material additive manufacturing, where every material has a certain functional purpose within the part.
The nozzle extension further demonstrates material optimization by incorporating C-103, a specialized niobium alloy selected for its outstanding performance in extreme thermal settings.
Manufacturing Process Validation
Stringent testing and validation processes have marked the advanced manufacturing process’s development journey. The manufacturing team performed detailed tests to check the parts’ material integration and functional performance.
Hot-fire testing of the complete nozzle assembly has shown the cooling channel design’s effectiveness, while comprehensive analysis has verified the material interfaces’ structural integrity.
InssTek highlights the importance of this accomplishment in manufacturing: "The successful integration of multiple materials in a single component represents a fundamental advancement in metal additive manufacturing. Our DED technology enables us to precisely control material placement and properties, opening new possibilities in aerospace component design and manufacturing."
Industrial Applications and Future Implications
The development of DED technology represents a manufacturing breakthrough that surpasses producing rocket nozzles. With proven success in building complex, multi-material parts also has important implications for multiple aerospace and industrial use cases.
DED technology is particularly promising for the manufacturing of heat exchangers, where combining materials with a range of thermal applications could transform design techniques.
Improved metal 3D printing technology will greatly benefit the aerospace industry. Manufacturing parts with optimized material characteristics using DED will support novel methods in thermal management and structural design. This ability could lead to more efficient and reliable aerospace parts, ranging from propulsion systems to structural components.
Industrial manufacturing may also find valuable use cases for this technology. The ability to generate bimetallic structures with precise material transitions opens up new possibilities for equipment built to withstand extreme conditions.
Moreover, the technology's ability to integrate cooling channels in the manufacturing process could increase the efficiency of multiple industrial systems.
Image Credit: InssTek, Inc.
Image Credit: InssTek, Inc.
Image Credit: InssTek, Inc.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by InssTek, Inc.
For more information on this source, please visit InssTek, Inc.