United Launch Alliance, the company responsible for making many of the rockets for both NASA and the U.S. Air Force, plans to begin using 3D-printed parts in more than 100 flight-ready components for its next generation model of a rocket.
The rocket, known as the Vulcan, was announced just last week and is set to combine the best attributes of the company's current rocket models, the Atlas and the Delta. The Vulcan also offers a unique opportunity to infuse 3D printing of parts from the very beginning of the design concept, according to Greg Arend, program manager for additive manufacturing at ULA.
"We have a long list of [parts] candidates to evaluate -- over 100 polymer parts we're considering and another 50 or so metal parts we're considering," Arend said. The Vulcan is expected to launch sometime in 2019.
The typical ULA rocket costs $165 million and they must power into space billion dollar satellites weighing more than 60,000 pounds. Arend said the 3D printers could save the company as much as $1 million a year in parts manufacturing.
Flight-ready parts are expensive and sometimes difficult to make, both in terms of lead time and manufacturing. With traditional manufacturing, a contract must be negotiated for a third party supplier to create the parts to ULA's specifications. If there is a problem, the part must then me sent back and retooled. Like ULA, third party suppliers must meet deadlines to ensure the rocket maker receives the parts on time, and sometimes they do, but sometimes they don't.
With 3D printing, ULA believes it can maintain the level of quality control it wants and expects and doesn't have to be "held hostage by other companies who have other priorities." Arend says. "We can control our destiny better by bringing that work in house."
ULA has already used fused deposition modeling 3D printing in the past to create clearance gauges, printed drill-hold guides and molds that shape liquid insulation as it expands and hardens.
ULA purchased two new Fortus 900mc 3D Production Systems from Statasys. The machines will initially be used to make a new Environmental Control System duct on the current Atlas V rocket with many more parts set for the Vulcan rocket in the future.
With the two new 3D printers, the company is also hoping that 3D printing can be used in a more traditional role, the rapid prototyping of parts. Rapid prototyping allows engineers to actually hold a part and test its fit and functionality before making the part or ordering it from a supplier.
ULA currently produces about 12 rockets each year and hopes this technology will improve the reliability and reduce the costs of their rockets.
