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PBF

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The goal is to demonstrate an interest in the PBF technology to create heat exchangers with improved compactness, good thermal performance, and metal 3D printed in one go.

Answering the aerospace industry’s issues on thermal gear through the Powder Bed Fusion technology (PBF process) is what Temisth and PrintSky – the AddUp SOGECLAIRE Joint-Venture – propose under a partnership with the European Space Agency. In this study, the aim was to meet the needs of the space industry. The part was produced in aluminum on a FormUp 350 machine provided by AddUp.

OBJECTIVE

Develop a heat exchanger using the full potential of PBF process

RESULTS
  • Good thermal performance for a smaller volume compared to “conventional“ exchangers
  • Printed all at once
DIMENSIONS
  • 116x116x60 mm Mass: 244 g Heat exchanging power: 2,3 kW (simulated result)

Context

PrintSky is a joint venture between AddUp group, an expert in metal additive manufacturing, and SOGECLAIR, specializing in the integration of high-value-added solutions in the fields of aeronautics, space, civilian and military transport. Temisth is specialized in the development of custom thermal solutions customized using additive manufacturing. The goal for PrintSky and Temisth was to demonstrate their interest in the PBF (Powder bed fusion – laser) technology to create heat exchangers with improved compactness.

The part from above

Used Means

Printsky has developed its own methodology for dimensioning heat exchangers to the given characteristics. In this example, the aim was to meet the needs of the space industry. The part was produced in aluminum on a FormUp 350 machine provided by AddUp.

Advantages of Metal 3D Printing

Metal additive manufacturing is relevant for thermal equipment. It allows for the creation of channels with complex shapes, thus improving thermal performance while reducing the volume. This heat exchanger has thin walls (250 μm) and double curvature channels that are impossible to produce by conventional techniques. The tests carried out on a test bench allowed us to validate the leak tightness of the part, as well as its performance, very high considering the compactness of the exchanger. PrintSky has obtained a partnership agreement with the ESA (European Space Agency) for the development of this aluminum part.

The AddUp Advantage

Metal powder in fine particle size, used here on the FormUp machine, allows surface conditions adapted to heat exchanges.

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See how AddUp and PrintSky develop a good rigidity/mass balance with a high technical and economic value for an aeronautical part.

The CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) has joined forces with AddUp to create the Famergie platform to help energy sector manufacturers develop projects for the production of parts using metal additive manufacturing. The first project resulting from this partnership is a demonstrator of a methanation exchanger-reactor. This device converts CO2 into methane, which can be used as synthetic fuel. As the methanation reaction occurs at high temperatures and pressure, the design of the exchanger is crucial for the efficiency and control of the entire methane production. Read the case study about additive 3D printing of the aerospace support part using the FromUp 350® machine.

OBJECTIVE

Print a lightweight metal 3D support part

RESULTS
  • 40% mass savings compared to the maximum target of 600 g given
  • Compliance with the dimensions of the original part, for fastening and assembly.

 

 

 

Context

PrintSky is a joint venture between the AddUp group, an expert in metal additive manufacturing, and SOGECLAIR specialized in the integration of high-value-added solutions in the fields of aeronautics, space, civilian and military transport. The CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) commissioned Printsky to redesign a typically machined support part using the possibilities offered by additive manufacturing to reduce its mass. This support must also precisely ensure its functionalities to hold the equipment it has to support and resist the stresses it is subjected to.

Implemented Means

PrintSky was in charge of the design part of the project, developing its own experience and methodology to implement the characteristics of the metal part, in terms of mechanics and manufacturability. The production was then entrusted to AddUp experts who 3D printed the aerospace part using their FormUp350® machine.

Advantages of 3D Metal Printing

After topological optimization, additive manufacturing makes it possible to develop complex shapes, improve performance and reduce the volume of a metal part. It also allows the manufacture of very robust parts. Indeed, the material is added only where necessary, either to support forces or to ensure functionality such as fastening, support surface, or other. A good rigidity/mass balance with a high technical and economical value for an aeronautical part.

Results

The optimized support fulfills the same functions as the original support, but with a significant mass reduction, impossible to achieve with conventional technologies.

The use of fine powder allowed to obtain a good surface finish and finally the part was manufactured without support, which allows a significant time-saving in post-processing.

The AddUp Advantage

The mastering by AddUp of the material characteristics obtained on FormUp350® and of the additive manufacturing simulation tools has allowed us to anticipate the thermo-mechanical distortions and to obtain compliant parts after only one iteration.

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The goal of the project is to verify the technical and economic feasibility of additive manufacturing of complex geometric replacement parts for equipment that is no longer manufactured.

The project aims to verify the technical and economic feasibility of producing additive manufacturing spare parts with complex geometries for equipment that is no longer manufactured and historically sold complete. The equipment in question is a material transfer bridge and a steam distributor block.

OBJECTIVE

Demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of metal additive manufacturing to produce spare parts

RESULTS
  • Design and mechanical characteristics are identical to the original part.
  • Reduced production costs, compared to traditional manufacturing (machining)
  • Creation of a new and more agile supply chain
  • Reduced stock of spare parts

Context

Stainless steel 316L

Different plants in the Orano group want their spare parts to be available at the right time and at a lower cost, to secure the installations and optimize their parts inventory management. In particular, the maintenance department of Orano Cycle Tricastin has to deal with the obsolescence of some equipment for which the supply time is very long. In the nuclear industry, the storage of spare parts for all those complex equipment represents an important investment.

The Project

The project aims to verify the technical and economic feasibility of additive manufacturing to produce metal parts with complex geometries for equipment that is no longer manufactured and historically sold complete. The equipment in question is a material transfer bridge and a steam distributor block.

To meet this demand, Orano needed to rely on a solid industrial group with a large machine pool and a mastery of the value chain. This is why Orano called upon AddUp, a French manufacturer of metal additive machines. The AddUp experts thus 3D printed, using PBF technology (Powder Bed Fusion – laser), nine models of 316L stainless steel parts as well as test specimens for mechanical tests (tensile and impact) and other quality controls.

Additive Manufacturing Benefits

  • The cost of additive manufacturing compared to machining is lower: less material consumed, several parts printed on a single platform, and in a single operation.
  • The ability to produce parts with complex geometry from a scanned model of the part (reverse engineering) for parts without a CAD file.
  • The use of fine powder results in parts with high geometric accuracy and a good surface condition, even in internal channels.

Results

The full cost of producing 16 parts and 36 mechanical test specimens by additive manufacturing is equivalent to the cost of producing 3 parts by machining.

The AddUp Advantage

The use of fine powder with the FormUp350 machine allows for manufacturing parts with a good surface finish (especially for internal channels), as well as the creation of complex geometries. Control of the complete production chain: design, production, machining, post-processing, and inspection.

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An additively manufactured camera support, designed to withstand acceleration and vibration during launch to space and to hold a camera and its lens in position during the production phases of a metal 3D printer.

“Metal3D“ project objective is to characterize the mechanical properties of a material shaped in microgravity. To carry out this experiment, two batches of test specimens are being produced by the same printer design. While the first batch will be produced in Toulouse in terrestrial gravity, the second will be built in space, more precisely in the Columbus module of the ISS (International Space Station), in microgravity.

GOAL

Position and hold a camera and its lens in position during the flight and manufacturing phases

APPLICATION

3 positioning axes for precise camera field adjustment. Designed to withstand acceleration and vibration during launch

CONTEXT:

“METAL3D“ PROJECT

MASS:

70 g

 

 

Mission

“Metal3D“ is a mission commissioned by ESA (European Space Agency) as a technology demonstrator. Its objective is to characterize the mechanical properties of a material shaped in microgravity. To carry out this experiment, two batches of test specimens are being produced by the same printer design. While the first batch will be produced in Toulouse in terrestrial gravity, the second will be built in space, more precisely in the Columbus module of the ISS (International Space Station), in microgravity. To produce these two prints, we have designed and manufactured two identical copies of a metal 3D printing machine capable of operating in both environments. The printer we have designed for this mission will therefore be the first to print metal parts in space.

Process

In the absence of gravity, the majority of current additive manufacturing processes are no longer usable. To make microgravity manufacturing possible, we choose to exploit the forces induced by surface tension. We use a laser as the energy source and steel wire as the raw material. The laser heats the substrate to create a liquid bath. In this liquid bath, we immerse the steel wire. By pushing the wire into the liquid bath, the latter also liquefies and increases the volume of the fusion bath. We then move the laser and therefore the liquid bath to the surface of the substrate while unwinding the wire in this bath so as to create a bead once the liquid bath has solidified. A layer is made up of one or more beads depending on the geometry of the part to be produced. Once the layer is finished, the process starts again using the previous layer as a substrate. In this way, layer by layer, a volumetric part is created.

For the process, we use a 316L wire. The laser and wire are fixed in the machine frame, it is the tabletop that is made mobile through 3 linear axes and 1 rotary axis. The machine is operated under nitrogen in order to limit the oxidation of the material and prevent the risk of combustion. As the access to nitrogen is limited in the ISS, this atmosphere is recycled throughout the manufacturing process by filtration and cooling.

Partners

The mission is being piloted by the Airbus Defense & Space teams. Cranfield University provides the laser, the optical chain, and the wire supply system to the system. Hightech provides the machine enclosure, which provides a sealed and cooling system, and the interfaces between the machine and the rack to which it is connected. Airbus, in addition to piloting the project, is managing the electronic and safety aspects of the machine.

On the mechanical side, AddUp is in charge of the internal structure and the mobile part of the machine. AddUp also manages the control board and the sensors that monitor the process. On the software side, AddUp has developed the machine’s PLC. This software has several functions, it allows communication with the ground by sending different types of data (measurements, photos, reports, etc.) from the machine and by executing the commands it receives.

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Hydraulic blocks are present in most machines and devices, throughout a variety of industries. In the case of this hydraulic block, the entire part is 3D printed in a single operation.

Hydraulic blocks are present in most machines and devices, throughout a variety of industries. In the case of this hydraulic block, the entire part is produced in a single operation. Read the case study about the advantages of additive manufacturing in 3d printing.

CHALLENGE

3D printing of an optimized hydraulic block, in one piece

RESULTS

In the following case, the mass was reduced by 82% and the length of the block was reduced from 495 mm to 348 mm while keeping the functional surfaces identical. The parallelepiped shape allows for the reworking of high-precision bores.

 

KEY BENEFITS
  • 82% Mass Reduction
  • 30% Size Reduction
  • Creation of internal channels

Context

Dimensions: 152 x 348 mm Weight: 14 kg

Hydraulic blocks are present in most machines and devices, throughout a variety of industries: aeronautics, energy, automotive, etc. (land or naval transport, aeronautics, space, energy, etc.).

The role of these parts is to distribute fluids, often under high pressure. The mass of hydraulic blocks plays an important role in many applications and their volume depends on how they are made.

In most cases, they are made by machining blocks of raw metal. The pipes are drilled and then plugged where necessary to ensure the fluid transfer function. The changes of direction are therefore made at 90°, which generates pressure losses, and the plugs are a risk of leakage.

The Advantages of Additive Manufacturing

Metal additive manufacturing allows pipes to be made without connections or blockages, and therefore without the risk of leakage or pressure loss. The structures that hold the pipes together are kept to a minimum to reduce mass.

In the case of this hydraulic block, the entire part is produced in a single operation, with its markings and threads. This part is successful because it can be produced quickly, it is l created with less material, therefore, reducing its weight and it can be used immediately.

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The freedom of design linked to metal 3D printing allows the production of customized handles, of different dimensions, without tooling, thus limiting the costs and manufacturing lead times of the parts.

The freedom of design linked to metal additive manufacturing allows the production of customized handles, of different dimensions, for right or left-handed people, without tooling, thus limiting the costs and time of manufacturing the parts. Read the case study about AddUp and PrintSky partnership for the 3D printing of a complex ergonomic controller.

CHALLENGE

3D printing of a complex ergonomic controller

RESULTS

Thanks to the use of a fine powder and a system of spreading the powder by a scraper, the part manufactured on the FormUp 350® machine has a low surface roughness, allowing the handle to be used immediately, without reworking.

Context

The Joystick, a multi-axis handle is specially designed for the piloting of demanding vehicles (turrets, drones, lifting equipment, etc.) combining excellent ergonomics with a wide range of applications.

For this project, AddUp partnered with PrintSky who designed the flight stick to ensure the mechanical and manufacturability characteristics of the metal part would be met. The part has been designed to allow for the dimensions to be updated to suit the shape and grip of each driver, as well as the position and type of button for each application.

The part was optimized for the Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF*) process, reducing the wall thickness of the handle down to just 1 mm, compared to 3 mm for castings. The part was then printed on the FormUp® 350 PBF machine.

The Advantages of Additive Manufacturing

PBF technology is particularly suitable for applications that require customization, function integration, and weight savings while maintaining high mechanical strength.

This Joystick was made of 316L stainless steel and is remarkably strong and perfectly suited for off-road vehicles and machines. Its special grip makes it easy for the rider to grasp the handle. This part is a one-piece construction with modular inserts to provide design flexibility and ease of installation.

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