Burloak and MDA Space: 8 Years of Transforming Aerospace with Metal 3D Printing

Burloak Technologies, Canada’s largest contract manufacturer specializing in metal 3D printing and post-processing for flight applications, recently celebrated 8 years of partnership with MDA Space, Canada’s largest space technology company. Over the course of the partnership working on applications that include RF waveguides and structural parts, Burloak has developed significant manufacturing process IP for its 3D printing and post-processing capabilities for challenging and complex flight applications.

By the numbers, the accomplishments both companies have achieved in the use of 3D printed flight parts with metal 3D printing is staggering:

• The number of years Burloak and MDA Space have been working together on flight applications: 8 years
• 3D printed materials: Aluminum, Titanium, Invar 36
• Satellite programs supported by the MDA Space/Burloak partnership: Telesat Lightspeed, SDA Tranche 1, Airbus OneSat, Airbus SpainSat, Maxar Legion, MDA Chorus, Intelsat G37, OHB H2Sat, etc.

“By partnering with the right company, the value proposition that 3D printing offers can be a game-changer,” says Sam Donato, MDA Space’s Product Manager. “Burloak taught us about 3D printing and Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) through their AM Works program. We now look for every opportunity to leverage 3D printing where it makes sense to increase performance, improve schedule, consolidate parts, and reduce cost. We couldn’t be happier with our partner Burloak Technologies.”

Earlier this year, MDA Space selected Burloak to be a part of its supply chain to support the Telesat Lightspeed program, which will be the largest satellite constellation program in Canada’s history once complete. Burloak will provide over 50,000 metal additively manufactured flight hardware components to MDA Space as part of its role in this program. As Burloak has grown with MDA Space over the years, both teams are working hard to bring metal additive manufacturing to the next level by scaling up to true high-volume production. When designing flight parts for 3D printing, MDA Space has a wide selection of materials to choose from given Burloak’s expansive materials portfolio and development capabilities. Burloak and MDA Space collaborate on a wide range of applications that include antenna feeds, networks, waveguides, reflectors, optical components, and structural parts.

“We are extremely appreciative of the working relationship we have developed with MDA Space,” says Jason Ball, Vice-President and General Manager at Burloak. “It can be very challenging for contract manufacturers like Burloak to achieve significant flight heritage given the high barrier of entry into this tier of manufacturing. Through our partnership with MDA Space, we began developing this heritage early on and have been able to refine our 3D printing and post-processing capabilities over the years to be the preferred supplier of flight parts for several prominent aerospace companies.”

Burloak’s heritage extends beyond the space industry, as Burloak supports some of the largest companies in the world in other sectors that include Aviation, Defense, and Energy. Guided by an AS9100/ISO 9001 quality management system, and NADCAP certified for heat treatment post-processing, Burloak is one of the largest and most trusted 3D printing contract manufacturers in North America.

Jason Ball will speak at Additive Manufacturing Strategies, Feb 4-6 2025 in New York City.