Development of an Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem for Qualification of Additive Manufacturing Processes and Materials in Aviation

The major challenges associated with additive manufacturing (AM) are an ability to qualify parts and the costs associated with the technology. Our team will study and mature technologies as detailed below to develop an ecosystem for the qualification of AM machines, which in turn supports the certification of part production.

Additive manufacturing offers unique opportunities for the aviation industry in the fabrication of original components and replacement parts. Aggressive use of metals AM has, for example, allowed the rapid development and production of new launch vehicle designs, at substantially reduced costs. Aviation has unique challenges, such as higher production volumes, but the potential value of integrating AM into aviation manufacturing is clear.

To implement the ecosystem for AM qualification, the team will run a set of six multi-disciplinary projects. Each of these projects will address a current barrier to AM process qualification, and efficient production.

1. AM Flaw Management: Flaw (dominated by pore structure) management is currently the most important need in the fabrication of aviation components subjected to fatigue. This project will define the processing window to achieve flaw/porosity control within defined limits and further demonstrate how process optimization can control porosity levels within that processing window. Mechanical properties such as fatigue will be used to quantify the effects of porosity and build the necessary data portfolio for process qualification.
2. Qualification Aware Process Maps: There is a concern in the aero industry that any changes in process variables require a full re-qualification of an AM process and this is leading to qualification efforts focusing on a single process variable set (usually defined by a machine manufacturer). This project will address this concern by defining multiple process variable points within the process window (Project #1) and developing data for each of them for qualification.
3. Qualification Aware Post Processing: Post processing of an aviation part can easily cost as much as the additive fabrication itself, yet little science has been applied to post processing of AM parts. In particular, there is an important coupled relationship between AM processing and post processing to achieve optimal cost and performance. This project will investigate and implement more efficient post-processing methods that support qualification.
4. Database Analytics: This project will compile data from all members on process-structure- property relationships, with a focus on porosity and fatigue. This project will apply data science to develop a model for qualification that will be used in training and education (next project).
5. Training and Education: We will disseminate project results across University, Small Business and Partner Company and Government Laboratory team members and will train small businesses looking to become Tier 1 AM suppliers. Dissemination will occur through student and industry employee exchanges executed at the academic team member sites. We will also train potential AM component suppliers (subcontractors) to achieve various defined levels (tiers) of AM expertise and thus qualify their processes using the results of these projects.
6. Scaling to Production: A critical barrier to widespread use of AM in aviation manufacturing is the scaling from research-based component fabrication to small-scale production at the rate of hundreds or thousands of parts per year. This project will investigate optimal configurations of combined pre-processing, processing and post-processing cells that exploit robotic automation and its integration with human workers.

Over the last eight years, metals Additive Manufacturing (AM) has impacted aviation manufacturing for jet engine components, airframe structural elements, and other applications. Looking ahead, AM is likely to substantially impact the desired outcomes for aviation manufacturing identified by NASA for this project. Accordingly, the over-arching project goal is the demonstrated establishment of an ecosystem for qualification of powder bed additive manufacturing processes that is based on flaw management. Solving the technical challenges and disseminating the qualification protocol to companies, especially Tier 1 suppliers and below will move aviation manufacturing towards achieving NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's objectives for innovative solutions that reduce time-to-production, improved process control, and product tailoring. The successful implementation of the proposed qualification framework for AM powder bed should substantially advance U.S. manufacturing capabilities in terms of flexibility of design, time-to-market etc. It will also bring down the cost of manufacture particularly for short production run parts and replacement parts. Economic growth will be boosted, particularly through enabling small contractors who lack access to Research and Development depth to qualify their AM processes and equipment and keep them qualified over time. Interaction with large original equipment manufacturers has indicated that most of them plan to eventually subcontract much of their AM fabrication work to small AM contractors. As small suppliers gain confidence in their ability to produce qualified parts, they will add machines and people to increase production.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.