The second will be the advancement of electron beam melting (EBM), and will support work that is already in progress. The goal of this area of research is to get EBM ready for full-scale, high-volume aerospace production.
“We are extremely proud to work with the world-renowned Oak Ridge National Laboratory to speed progress towards fully industrializing these processes,” said Mike Grunza, CEO of GKN Aerospace’s Aerostructures North America business. “Additive manufacturing will continue to increase its vital role in engineering design spanning civil and defense aviation, revolutionizing the design and manufacture of structures across the entire airframe and engine. Additive processes could cut material waste by as much as 90 percent and manufacturing times by around 50 percent and will unlock new manufacturing horizons, allowing us to create complex components with no performance compromise.”
So far, they’ve mostly been focused on metal powder bed technology, delivered from GKN’s center of excellence in Filton, UK – one of seven additive manufacturing centers of excellence in the UK, the US, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Now, they plan to begin exploring new materials and designs.
“Saab is a long-term, valued customer for GKN and partnering with them on this ground-breaking new technology has been a major success for both companies. Historically, the challenge for AM was to move it from theory into production: fully certified and flying on major platforms. We are well past that stage now – AM is out there and flying on aircraft around the world today. I am confident that this partnership will push the boundaries of this revolutionary technology further in the years to come,” said John Pritchard, GKN Aerospace’s CEO of Aerostructures Europe and China.
A demonstrator nozzle has already been trialed successfully in a full-scale engine nozzle test as part of the European Space Agency’s Ariane Research and Technology Accompaniment (ARTA) Program. The flight configuration nozzle will now be mounted to the Vulcain 2.1 engine for testing in Germany. The Ariane 6 is expected to enter service in 2020. It will be manufactured in a new center of excellence, scheduled to open at GKN’s Trollhättan, Sweden facility in 2018. GKN Aerospace will be providing a total of five complex sub-systems for each Ariane 6 rocket, including four turbine assemblies for the two engines.
“We are proud to be part of the Ariane 6 team,” said Sebastien Aknouche, General Manager Space, GKN Aerospace Engine Systems. “The advanced nozzle manufactured with breakthrough technologies is a true innovation. With the support of the Swedish National Space Board, we participated in the initial engine demonstrator programs. This allowed us to work with our customer to prove the great added value that innovative technologies like additive manufacturing have for the design and production processes in the space and aerospace industry.”
The flight also marked the first test of GKN’s Type 8 Spraymat Ice Protection heater mats. GKN Aerospace was the first commercial customer for FAAM, which had previously only worked with research institutions and government bodies.
“This successful first flight of GKN’s OID technology was the result of positive collaboration between our additive manufacturing and ice protection teams and marks a significant milestone in maturing the capability,” said Russ Dunn, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Technology and Quality for GKN Aerospace.
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