3D Printing in Aerospace

3D printing has huge potential in the aerospace industry in particular. The use of additive manufacturing here involves, among other things, being able to manufacture spare parts on board the space station and also in rockets, solving the food problem on board the ISS and later modules, and also preparing for another landing on the moon. We could also imagine that this technology could be used for travel to Mars. However, it will probably be several years before the first Mars mission takes place. Of course, time will not stand still until then in the research and use of additive manufacturing in aerospace.

Why does aerospace benefit from 3D printing?

There are very few usable raw materials in space. At the same time, there is a lot of dust floating in the air. It is envisioned to add microscopic particles to the aggregated dust to create solid structures using additive manufacturing. Spare parts can be made from these structures, as well as from recyclable plastic and metal parts that can be shredded on site and made into new filament. These can then be built into devices or apparatus, used for scientific experiments and the like. Even food can be made more visually appealing with a 3D printer. To this end, for example, NASA has funded a Systems and Materials Research Corporation project to help develop 3D food printers that can be used in a weightless environment.

Furthermore, it is very cost-intensive to send tools and other materials to the ISS by rocket. Per kilogram, the cost is the equivalent of about $17,000. Therefore, it makes more sense to send material that can then be formed into a tool, spare part or similar on site, and possibly recycled later. Transporting the 3D printer and the filament is therefore considerably less expensive than transporting finished tools and spare parts, which then also have to be stored.

3D printer for gravity

NASA has teamed up with a company called Made in Space to develop a 3D printer called Zero G that doesn't require gravity. This device uses FDM technology (Fused Deposition Modeling) and has already been successfully tested. At that time, the ground station transmitted the file to the ISS, where the 3D printer then made a ratchet.

Another goal now is to create a database that contains all 3D files for parts needed in the space station. If such a component fails, it can be reprinted directly on site, which takes much less time than transporting a replacement part by rocket. Not to mention the cost factor.

Food pressure in space

NASA engineers developed a technology to feed astronauts during long space flights or space missions. For example, they have developed a 3D printer that can produce a three-dimensional pizza in space. Since pizzas are made in layers (first the dough, then the tomato sauce, then more toppings and finally the cheese), this suits 3D printing very well, because here, too, printing is done in layers. Only a few minutes should pass before the pizza is ready.

Construction of a lunar station also conceivable with the help of 3D printing

The European Space Agency (ESA) hopes to use 3D printing to build a lunar station. For this purpose, the architecture studio Fosters + Partners, together with the company Monolite UK, has designed a structure that will later be mounted on a dome on the moon. This dome is built on Earth, then erected on site and solidified with material available on the Moon. The dome serves as a defense against meterorite impacts and filters out both solar radiation and gamma rays.

Engine from the 3D printer

As early as the middle of this decade, ESA unveiled the first 3D printed engine for spacecraft, equipped with a platinum combustion chamber. The use of 3D printing revealed a number of advantages. The engine itself performs similarly to a conventionally manufactured engine. The advantages of this technology include lower production costs and the use of new materials.

For a 1D engine, SpaceX introduced an oxidation valve. This is to be installed in Falcon 9 rockets.

3D printing in aviation

3D printers are being used more and more not only in aerospace, but also in aviation. For example, Stratasys announced some time ago that it had installed 1,000 3D printed parts in an Airbus. The Pratt & Whitney company has partnered with Bombardier to enable the manufacture of 3D printed engine parts. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has also recognized the signs of the times and has applied for a patent that makes it possible to print spare parts for its machines using additive manufacturing. This allows transport and storage costs to be reduced to a considerable extent.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing partnered with Thermwood to produce a large 3D printed tooling part. This tool will be used on the X777 aircraft.

Siemens is also committed to the use and further development of 3D printing. For example, the company has teamed up with aircraft parts manufacturer Strata to print monitor frames for Etihad Airline aircraft that are recessed into the backs of seats. Until then, the frames still had to be reworked manually.

Conclusion

The use of 3D printing in the aerospace industry brings a lot of benefits. These include not only the lower quantities of consumables and the production of complicated geometries “from a single mold” compared to conventional production, but also the lower costs. Furthermore, 3D printed parts are often much lighter. Every kilogram of weight saved naturally has a positive effect on fuel consumption. Another advantage, especially for space travel, is that the objects can be manufactured directly on site – i.e. also in the space station or later on the moon and Mars.

Further reading/sources:

• https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1115.html
• https://www.detail.de/blog-artikel/lebensraum-aus-dem-drucker-mondprojekt-von-foster-partners-22990/
• https://blog.thermwood.com/boeing-and-thermwood-partner-to-demonstrate-new-3d-printing-technology-0
• https://www.siemens.com/innovation/de/home/pictures-of-the-future/industrie-und-automatisierung/3d-druck-ersatzteile-fuer-flugzeuge.html