Additive manufacturing (AM) is altering the way that most industries do business, but one field that could definitely stand to drop its production costs with 3D printing is that of the space industry.
The March 22 launch of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is one salient example of the potential impact that AM will have on space technology—not just because the Atlas V sent the first commercial 3D printer into space via the Cygnus cargo craft, but because the rocket itself featured a number of serial-production thermoplastic 3D-printed parts in its construction. The rocket, then, represents the ability of even space manufacturers to shift from costly metal components to plastic.
Relying on the skills and technology of Stratasys, known for its professional thermoplastic 3D printing systems, ULA was able to additively manufacture a number of parts for the ducting system on the Atlas V. For the rocket’s payload fairing, ULA was able to 3D print brackets, nozzles and panel close-outs using a Fortus 900mc production 3D printer, with Stratasys adding engineering, production tooling and the production of parts.
In the case of the 3D-printed environmental control system (ECS), which provided nitrogen cooling to the rocket booster for the Atlas V, ULA was able to achieve a 57 percent part-cost reduction. The 16 3D-printed components that wrapped around the spacecraft’s cargo fairing ultimately replaced 140 traditionally manufactured parts that would have previously been required for such an application.
To be able to shift from the metal components they would have typically used, the aerospace manufacturer turned to Stratasys’ proprietary ULTEM 9085 material. ULTEM 9085 has been engineered specifically for use in aerospace, automotive and military applications due to its heat and chemical resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio and FST (flame, smoke and toxicity) rating. In fact, the material can withstand temperatures as extreme as 59.4°C to 107°C (–75°F to 225°F). The material’s existing certifications for use in aircraft also make it easier to incorporate into existing manufacturing scenarios.
With all of these qualities in mind, ULTEM 9085 was ideal for replacing more costly metal parts, ultimately saving ULA in the production of the Atlas V. 3D-printed plastic parts require far-less post processing than metal 3D printing technologies. Moreover, the systems and the materials are much less expensive. According to an International Business Times interview with ULA’s program manager for additive manufacturing, Greg Arend, the switch from traditional to additive manufacturing has saved the aerospace company USD$1 million per year.
Despite the fact that the rocket launch cost hundreds of millions of dollars, the use of 3D-printed, plastic end-parts on the Atlas V could demonstrate an important—and cost-effective—change in the way that space travel is conducted in the future.
About the Author
Michael Molitch-Hou is a 3D printing specialist and the founder of The Reality™ Institute, a service institute dedicated to determining what’s real and what’s not so that you don’t have to. He is a graduate of the MFA critical studies and writing program at CalArts, and a firm advocate of world peace.