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MATERIALS IN DESIGN & PROTOTYPING FEATURE
AM BENEFITS THE SPACE RACE
As companies compete to capitalise on the burgeoning
opportunities in space exploration, the convergence of subtractive and additive manufacturing methods presents manufacturers with the design freedom to develop unique components, and the accuracy to meet stringent demands, as Renishaw explains
D
eveloping smaller, more affordable, satellite platforms is becoming easier thanks to advancements in technologies
such as sensors and microprocessors, combined with the development of new composites such as carbon fibre and other lightweight alloys. As such, many private companies are now looking to provide services for smaller satellites. Space agencies develop individual satellites during a project, with manufacturers rarely producing more than 100 units, and every product will be highly customised. Metal AM is well suited to rapid prototyping and the low-volume production of highly customised parts. García-Cosío Carmena, managing director
at aerospace design and manufacturing expert, CiTD, commented: “We now have access to a range of new manufacturing methods and materials that mean we can design optimal parts for a range of applications. However, to have the skills and technologies available to develop platforms quickly to the tight tolerances required in aerospace can be costly for companies.” He added: “The space industry is incredibly
competitive, so we often find that manufacturers are more willing to take calculated risks to balance cost, performance and speed. While it’s clear that AM offers the speed and design flexibility required in these applications, it is a costly technology, so manufacturers should consider how to find the best balance.”
COMPONENT PRODUCTION Metal AM is a useful tool in the production of components with complex geometries, giving manufacturers such as CiTD the ability to design and manufacture parts with better performance. However, it’s important to understand that AM technologies complement traditional methods, not replace them. Subtractive and additive manufacturing offer different benefits and drawbacks and the most robust approach for space applications is to use a combination of the two when developing components, merging the accuracy and reliability of traditional manufacturing with design freedom of AM. Lidia Hernández Álvarez, CiTD head of Additive
Manufacturing, said: “Determining the best manufacturing method requires engineers to review the part and its performance. If AM can improve part performance, such as delivering better conductivity or strength to weight ratio, it will add value to the final component. Parts such as heat exchangers and radio frequency (RF) antennas are good examples of where to use AM, because engineers can optimise the geometry to improve efficiency. Alternatively, when developing simple yet core components, such as flat plates, additive adds no value to its properties, so it will always be better to use traditional machining.
THE JUICE MISSION To explore Jupiter’s complex environment, as well as its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – the ESA launched the JUICE mission. Working in collaboration with AIRBUS Defence and Space, CATEC and CiTD, the ESA set an objective to optimise the structure of the explorer and reduce its weight as much as possible. “Our team helped produce eleven additively
manufactured secondary structure brackets for the JUICE project, using AM technology to deliver lightweight, high-performance parts,” continued García-Cosío Carmena. “By using high strength aluminium alloys, optimising component design and collaborating with the other AM specialists on the project, we were able to produce brackets that were 50% lighter than traditional ones.” This project marked the first time that any
product featuring parts manufactured on a Renishaw RenAM 500 system would travel to Jupiter and its satellites. The JUICE mission launched in April 2023 and is due arrive on Jupiter in July 2031, where it will spend three years making detailed observations of the planet and its satellites.
VERIFICATION As AM technology advances, improved productivity will help lower cost per part and open the technology to new applications. In terms of space applications, any development should improve the robustness of the process
and ensure that parts can meet the tight tolerances expected in the sector. “Part inspection and verification will
be integral to the future of AM in space applications,” continued Hernández Álvarez. “Manufacturers must currently test all iterations
“By using high
strength aluminium alloys, optimising
component design and collaborating with the other AM specialists on the project, we were able to produce
brackets that were 50% lighter than traditional ones”
of a part, including prototypes and final units, at the end of production, using CT scanning to ensure there are no internal defects. Currently, this process can be costly, as manufacturers may only be able to see defects after a build is complete, causing manufacturers to scrap the part. So, to improve the robustness of the process, AM users are considering how to reduce the cost of verification and control measures. As a result, process monitoring tools and artificial intelligence will be key to the future of AM in space applications.”
Renishaw
www.renishaw.com
OCTOBER 2024 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 41
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