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Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)
In partnership with Elementum 3D, the RAMFIRE ACO project seeks to help further increase performance and reduce cost by advancing novel additively manufactured (AM) aluminum materials through partnerships with commercial AM service vendors, and commercial space partners for large-scale complex rocket components and launch vehicle structures. The ACO team is working to advance large-scale laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) of high-strength aluminum alloys through process development, characterization, and testing as well as making a supply chain available for use by the broader aerospace, automotive, and other industries.
Elementum 3D has leveraged patented Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) technology to develop a family of printable high-strength aluminum feedstocks for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing. These feedstocks have strengths equaling or exceeding comparable high-strength wrought aluminum alloys while also being weldable and printable, unlike the wrought aluminum alloys. These aluminum feedstocks are currently being used in the space, aerospace, and automotive industries and are paving the way for new innovative designs. Laser powder bed fusion is the most widely used additive manufacturing technique but is very limited in scale. As AM is increasingly being adopted, there is a growing need for large-scale parts using printable high-performance light-weight materials. This ACO will evolve these aluminum alloys to the large scale LP-DED process providing significant new design opportunities for engines, launch vehicles, and habitats.
Through this project, NASA seeks to help further increase performance and reduce cost by advancing novel additively manufactured (AM) aluminum materials through partnerships with commercial AM service vendors, and commercial space partners for large-scale complex rocket components and launch vehicle structures. The proposed outcome of this project is to advance large-scale directed energy deposition (DED) of high-strength aluminum alloys through process development, characterization, and testing and making a supply chain available for use by the broader aerospace, automotive, and other industries.
Additively manufactured parts can enable complex geometry designs as well as a radical cost and schedule savings over standard production techniques creating a new area of design for propulsion systems. Material options also play a large role in system design, performance, and weight. Advanced aluminum alloys offer a desirable combination of high strength, high thermal conductivity, and low weight making them ideal for many complex launch vehicle structures. Use of high-strength aluminum alloys has been limited by the poor weldability and printability of these alloys. This ACO will evolve these aluminum alloys and develop the LP-DED processes for scale up that will provide significant new design opportunities for engines, launch vehicles, and habitats.
Elementum 3D has leveraged patented Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) technology to develop a family of printable high-strength aluminum feedstocks for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing. These feedstocks have strengths equaling or exceeding comparable high-strength wrought aluminum alloys while also being weldable and printable, unlike the wrought alloys. These aluminum feedstocks are currently being used in the Space, Aerospace, and Automotive industries and are paving the way for new innovative designs. Laser powder bed fusion is the most widely used additive manufacturing technique but is very limited in scale. As AM is increasingly being adopted, there is a growing need for large-scale parts using printable high-performance light-weight materials. This project will evolve these aluminum alloys to large scale DED process providing significant new design opportunities for engines, launch vehicles, and habitats.
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