Swiss students have built a 3D aerospace printer that fuses two metals and cuts rocket part production time by more than two thirds.
A team of bachelor students in Switzerland has designed a 3D high-speed multi-material metal printer that could change the future of aerospace, propulsion, and e-mobility manufacturing.In only nine months, the young researchers reportedly built the prototype machine, which utilizes a rotating laser powder bed fusion system to print cylindrical metal parts significantly faster than conventional systems.
Moreover, the breakthrough enables simultaneous processing of multiple metals in a single operation. This meansscientists can print parts such as rocket nozzles with a copper core and a nickel-alloy exterior in one seamless step. “This process is ideally suited to rocket nozzles, rotating engines, and many other components in the aerospace industry,” Michael Robert Tucker, PhD, a lecturer at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, said. “They typically have a large diameter but very thin walls.” Dual-metal 3D prototypeThe new metal printer, which the six bachelor students in their fifth and sixth semesters created, addresses two major challenges in current metal additive manufacturing, speed and multi-material capabilities. Traditional LPBF printers operate in a stop-start fashion by sequentially applying and fusing each layer. In contrast, the team’s innovative solution rotates the printing platform, allowing powder to be deposited and fused continuously.“For small players like our student rocket team, this sort of multi-material technology has up to now been too complex and too expensive, putting it out of reach,” Tucker explained. Left: A conventional 3D printer; right: The rotating RAPTURE machine, in which the laser continually fuses the powder. Credit: Michael Tucker / ETH ZurichThis high-speed rotation slashes production time for cylindrical components by more than two-thirds. It can also print with two different metals simultaneously, which current 3D printers can’t achieve without multiple printing stages or complex post-processing.The student-led project, named RAPTURE, was initially designed to help ARIS build bi-liquid-fueled rocket nozzles capable of surviving spaceflight conditions. ARIS aims to reach the Kármán Line, the international boundary for space set at 62 miles Earth’s surface in the coming years. Smarter, cleaner 3D printingAccording to Tucker, what sets the machine apart is its rotating powder delivery and gas flow system, which proved critical to the quality of the printed parts. The mechanism blows inert gas across the fusion zone, preventing oxidation during the printing process.At the same time, soot, spatter, and other by-products are continuously extracted through a dedicated outlet, ensuring a cleaner build environment and higher part integrity. “At first we underestimated the extent to which the gas flow mechanism affects product quality,” Tucker explained. “Now we know it’s crucial.”The university has reportedly filed a patent for the technology, citing its potential in aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors. Meanwhile, the prototype has already produced turbine stators up to 7.8 inches in diameter. Tucker revealed that the team is now working to scale up the process and partner with industry players. “The fact that a team of students developed and built a functioning machine in nine months is pretty remarkable,” he concluded in a press release.The study has been published in the journal CIRP Annals.
Aerospace Engineering ETH Zurich Innovation Inventions And Machines Manufacturing Metal Rocket Switzerland
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nestle touts CEO ousting as 'generational shift' — here’s what that means for the stockThe Swiss food giant axed chief executive Laurent Freixe following a probe into an 'undisclosed romantic relationship.'
Read more »
SolGold shifts to Swiss tax base as it fast-tracks CascabelThe move consolidates full ownership of Cascabel under one entity, SolGold Finance AG, aligning it with royalty agreements.
Read more »
Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe Fired Following Relationship With SubordinateNestlé, the Swiss food giant, has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe due to an investigation that uncovered a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate. Philipp Navratil will take over as CEO.
Read more »
Sabrina Carpenter's Paw Print Nails Are the Perfect Nod to Her New EraDanielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness.
Read more »
USD/CHF trades firmly near 0.8050 as risk-off mood improves US Dollar’s appealThe USD/CHF pair extends its winning streak for the third trading day on Wednesday. The Swiss Franc pair rises to near 0.8050 as the safe-haven demand of the US Dollar (USD) has increased, following a significant surge in long-dated bond yields across the globe.
Read more »
EXCLUSIVE: Hublot Taps Three-time Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes as Brand AmbassadorPatrick Mahomes is luxury Swiss watchmaker Hublot latest brand ambassador.
Read more »