The latest breakthrough in the aviation field: 3D printing to create liquid propulsion rocket parts

Recently, 3D printing has made new developments in the aviation field. The University of Tennessee (UT) School of Engineering and the US Department of Energy's ORNL Laboratory Manufacturing Display Center (MDF) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of another new project in the aerospace industry.

Engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne has been working with the US Air Force Research Laboratory as part of a collaborative effort to revolve around three high-end laser metal additive manufacturing equipment, including two Concept Laser X series printers (one set In MDF, the other is placed in Aerojet Rocketdyne), and one EOS M400 (in Atlantic Precision). The program is supported by the US Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office.

It is understood that although these three machines are from different manufacturers, they use the same 3D printing technology , namely laser powder melting technology. In this project, their mission is to convert metal powder into liquid materials for the manufacture of rocket engine (LRE) components.

Such advanced 3D printers will help advance UT's research and development in this area. Suresh Babu, head of UT-ORNL Additive Manufacturing Project, said: "This particular technology will enable us to manufacture aluminum alloy components for rocket engines. And the design side has seen a new direction of development." It is said that the impact of this project on the UT engineering school far exceeds the equipment itself.

According to Wayne Davis, Dean of the UT School of Engineering, “In addition to acquiring advanced technology, our students will work with scientists and engineers from these famous organizations. This has a positive effect on our student education.”

For ORNL, this is their latest development in advanced manufacturing.

As one of the world's leading manufacturers of rocket propulsion systems, Aerojet Rocketdyne has been researching additive manufacturing technology for the past decade. This new arrangement and additional investment have enabled them to work with UT to develop new metal additive manufacturing technologies that are important to the company.

Jeff Haynes, Additive Manufacturing Program Manager at Aerojet Rocketdyne, said: "The systems of these three printers are very complex compared to the 3D printers we used to use, but they are very powerful. With these new platforms and alloy materials, we can 3D print. A metal part six times larger than before."

It is understood that the company's cooperation project with UT and Atlantic Precision is in line with the content and theme of the Defense Production Act Title III. It can be speculated that this project is likely to be the US government. Leading the initiative.

Aerojet Rocketdyne's focus in this project is to develop low-cost engines with UT and ORNL expertise in materials and manufacturing.

Haynes said: "Although the main goal of this project is to develop rocket engine components, it will be extended to other applications as the case may be. We are now able to quickly build large components, and our current production requirements are relatively low, so these machines There are also features that we have not used to help develop new industrial applications."