As 3D printing technology continues to improve, more industries and companies are analyzing how they can incorporate it into their existing production processes. Rocket manufacturer United Launch Alliance (ULA) is no exception. ULA makes launch vehicles for NASA, the Air Force and commercial satellites.
The lower-end rockets they manufacture cost $165 million and are responsible for propelling billion-dollar satellites weighing more than 60,000 pounds into space. When a company responsible for these types of critical applications embraces 3D printing for manufacturing, it's a pretty big deal.
“It’s about as demanding an application as you can get,” says Rich Garrity, VP and General Manager Vertical Solutions Unit for Additive Manufacturing system maker Stratasys Ltd. “Rockets must endure pressure, G-force, speed, vibration, heat, and extreme cold.”
United Launch Alliance is a premier launch services company in the U.S., and has supported America’s presence in space for more than 50 years with its heritage systems Atlas and Delta. Similar to other leading edge manufacturers with a history of using 3D printing, ULA evolved from prototyping to tooling and into flight hardware production.
ULA initiated the process of updating the Environmental Control System (ECS) duct on the Atlas V after acquiring two Fortus 900mc 3D Production Systems from Stratasys. The ECS duct is "critical to the countdown sequence of a launch, delivering nitrogen to sensitive electronic components within the rocket booster".
The Atlas V is set to launch with the new 3D component in 2016.
So how did 3D printing alter the design of the ECS duct assembly?
The previous design for the ECS duct assembly contained 140 parts, but by altering the design using FDM 3D Printing Technology, ULA brought the number of parts down to just 16. This translates into reduced installation time and a 57 percent part-cost reduction.
These high performance end-use parts were make from ULTEM 9085 FDM thermoplastic material: “ULTEM 9085 has great strength properties over a wide temperature range,” according to Greg Arend, Program Manager for Additive Manufacturing at ULA. “We have done testing to show that it is very capable of withstanding temperatures from cryogenic all the way up to extreme heat. And it’s tough enough to handle the vibration and stress of lift off and flight. We’re very satisfied with its performance.”
The Atlas V won’t likely be the last launch vehicle to incorporate 3D printing technology. ULA announced that for the next generation rocket, they plan to increase the quantity of 3D printed parts to over 100.
“We see somewhat of an exponential growth in the utility of 3D printing for flight applications on our current vehicles,” said Arend. “And we intend to use it heavily with our Vulcan rocket.”