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Lockheed Martin has embraced a Three-D printed titanium dome for satellite tv for pc gasoline tanks so large you may’t even put your arms round it. The 46-inch- (1.16-meter-) diameter vessel accomplished remaining rounds of high quality testing this month, ending a multi-year improvement program to create big, high-pressure tanks that carry gasoline on board satellites.
The titanium tank consists of three elements welded collectively: two Three-D printed domes that function caps, plus a variable-length, traditionally-manufactured titanium cylinder that varieties the physique.
“Our largest Three-D printed elements up to now present we’re dedicated to a future the place we produce satellites twice as quick and at half the price,” mentioned Rick Ambrose, Lockheed Martin House government vp.
“And we’re pushing ahead for even higher outcomes. For instance, we shaved off 87 p.c of the schedule to construct the domes, lowering the overall supply timeline from two years to a few months.”
Satellite tv for pc gasoline tanks should be each sturdy and light-weight to resist the trials of launch and decade-long missions within the vacuum of area. That makes titanium a really perfect materials, however procuring Four-foot-diameter, Four-inch-thick titanium forgings can take a yr or extra, making them essentially the most difficult and costly elements of the tank.
Conventional manufacturing strategies additionally meant that greater than 80 p.c of the fabric went to waste. Now, Three-D printing eliminates all that misplaced materials for the domes, and the titanium used for printing is available with no wait time.
“We self-funded this design and qualification effort as an funding in serving to our clients transfer sooner and save prices,” defined Ambrose.
“These tanks are a part of a complete transformation in the best way we design and ship area know-how. We’re making nice strides in automation, digital actuality design and commonality throughout our satellite tv for pc product line. Our clients need better pace and worth with out sacrificing functionality in orbit, and we’re answering the decision.”
Even the smallest leak or flaw could possibly be catastrophic for a satellite tv for pc’s operations, so Lockheed Martin engineers went to nice lengths to make sure the printed tanks meet or exceed the efficiency and reliability required by NASA. Engineers and technicians rigorously evaluated the construction, conducting a full suite of exams to exhibit excessive tolerances and repeatability.
The tank domes are a leap in measurement for certified Three-D printed supplies. The most important half beforehand certified was a toaster-size electronics enclosure for the Superior Extraordinarily Excessive Frequency satellite tv for pc program. Lockheed Martin’s current accomplishment continues a path of Three-D printed elements that bloomed in recent times.
Because the firm launched the primary ever printed elements into deep area aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft, it has produced hundreds of flight parts and much more for tooling and prototyping utilizing a wide range of metals and composites.
Technicians used Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing to provide these domes within the largest Three-D printer at our facility in Denver. Lockheed Martin now provides the tank as an ordinary product choice for LM 2100 satellite tv for pc buses.
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Dutch city to unveil world’s first 3D-printed housing complex
The Hague (AFP) July 11, 2018
The southern Dutch metropolis of Eindhoven plans to unveil the world’s first 3D-printed housing complicated subsequent yr, which its inventors imagine may revolutionise the constructing business by rushing up and customising building.
Printed in concrete by a robotic arm, the challenge backed by the town council, Eindhoven Technical College and several other building firms goals to see its first three-bedroomed residence go up by June 2019.
Often called Challenge Milestone, a housing complicated of 5 properties of variou … read more
