ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
The Sky Guardian UAV flew in 2020 with an additively manufactured NACA inlet made of Titanium Ti6Al4V .
“ The aerospace sector is typically not a mass production industry but is instead characterised by complex low-volume manufacture which plays directly to the strengths of metal AM ( and specifically the Laser Powder Bed Fusion L-PBF process ) when compared to traditional metal manufacturing processes . In an area that is highly competitive , where conventional manufacturing processes are costly — especially for metal components produced in relatively low volumes — and with supply chains constantly under pressure to conform to ever more stringent environmental performance restrictions , the aerospace sector needs to become more agile . Metal AM processes , with the ability to manufacture innovative geometrically complex parts in a timely , local , and cost-effective way , have a huge part to play ,” commented Will Dick- Cleland , Process Technology Team , Alloyed .
AM ’ s disruptive potential for the aerospace sector is widely acknowledged , holding out the opportunity to break the typical compromise between scale and scope in manufacturing firstly by reducing the capital expenditure required to achieve economies of scale , and secondly by increasing the variety of designs that a given amount of capital expenditure can produce . One AM platform can build a number of complicated parts with variable designs , and this means that large centralised factories with assembly lines are not always required . With AM complexity , production change-overs and customisation are cheaper .
The global aerospace additive manufacturing global market is expected to boost its growth due to the technological advances in AM materials . The unmanned aerial vehicle segment is driving its growth due to the increasing additive manufacturing adoption for developing larger drones and UAVs . Moreover , the engine segment is driving market growth due to the increasing usage of 3D-printing technology among various aviation companies to design aircraft engines .
In the aerospace additive manufacturing market , demand for the alloy ( a mixture of metals ) is increasing . In aerospace additive manufacturing , the widely used metal alloys are titanium alloys , stainless steel , copper alloys , aluminium and nickel-based superalloys . Moreover , metal alloys are extensively used
in the manufacturing process of engine injectors and their fuel nozzles , rocket and propulsion hardware , and others . As AM technologies continue to develop and secure a stronger foothold in production scenarios , there is simultaneous development across the sector to refine associated parts of the AM ecosystem , with a great deal of emphasis placed on in-process monitoring for traceability and validation purposes , as well as automated postprocessing technologies . A further , vital area of development is materials , particularly metal powders for AM that meet — and exceed — the functionality and performance of existing production materials , as well as meeting the requirements of specific applications .
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems , Inc . ( GA-ASI ) marked an important technology milestone in 2020 as its first metal additively manufactured part took to the skies on a SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft ( RPA ) test flight . The part was an NACA inlet made in Titanium Ti6Al4V .
“ The reimagined single piece NACA inlet in Titanium Ti6Al4V offers GA-ASI significant reductions to its weight and cost , especially when compared to the conventional method of manufacturing that makes the inlet from three parts of welded formed sheet metal Titanium . This made tooling , fabrication , labour and weld inspection a challenge . The inlet is now additively manufactured as a single piece , rather than three – on a Concept Laser M2 machine – and delivers a cost reduction per part of more than 90 %, weight reduction of over 30 % and tooling reduction of approximately 85 %,” explained GE Additive ’ s AddWorks team .
“ Consolidating the number of parts has numerous benefits , including reduced procurement cost . Reduced assembly and inspection time in turn simplifies GA-ASI ’ s supply chain and inventory requirements ,” it added .
( GA-ASI ) has also partnered with Australia-based Conflux Technology on the development of a heat exchanger . The part is being developed using a metal additive manufacturing process for possible integration onto GA-ASI ’ s line of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems ( RPAS ).
Demanding environments
The market for additively manufactured stainless steel is on a steep , global incline – and a prerequisite to safely implement stainless steel components produced through additive technology is a reliable prediction of how they will perform in corrosive environments .
As part of the AMCO project , funded by innovation agency Vinnova and coordinated by Swerim , the metals research institute , Sandvik Additive Manufacturing collaborated with Alfa Laval , Quintus Technologies and Jernkontoret to increase the understanding of corrosion mechanisms and properties of additively manufactured components in various environments . The AMCO project is now releasing its guidelines on corrosion assessment of additively manufactured stainless steels .
In 2021 , Sandvik announced its ability to 3D print in super-duplex stainless steel , alongside strategic partner and part subsidiary , BEAMIT Group .
“ This ability is a potential game-changer , not least for industries in highly corrosive environments such as the offshore and marine segments . One of our flagship alloys , Osprey ® 2507 , is known for its excellent corrosion resistance and durability . With offshore energy giant Equinor and Norwegian Eureka Pumps , we printed an impeller , often found driving fluids through pipes on and under the sea . The offshore essential reinvented proved both lighter and faster than its traditionally manufactured counterparts and was near fully dense and crack-free (> 99.9 %) even before post processing ,” Sandvik 3D told ISMR . n
Additive manufacturing has many aerospace applications .
ISMR April 2022 | sheetmetalplus . com | 21