Colibrium Additive Gets $31 Million NAVAIR Contract

Colibrium Additive has been awarded a $31 million contract by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The contract is part of the Additive Manufacturing Capability initiative, focused on qualification and certification in support of maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) activities.

The contract will see Colibrium develop, “six metal alloy Material Process Combinations (MPCs) which are the detailed metal alloy’s physical and mechanical property data; optimize process parameters; consolidate material and process specifications; and establish design allowables for the properties tested.”

Overall, the materials are the existing 316L, CoCr, and Ti64. augmented with AlSi7Mg, IN718, 17-4PH and 7050-RAM2. AlSi7Mg is an aluminum casting alloy used for aerostructure components. More interesting still is the use of 7050-RAM2. This is an Elementum material. Previously, Elementum got $2.8 million of America Makes money to help qualify the material together with the likes of Battelle, Eaton, EOS Incodema, and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). This is, therefore, a big win for Elementum because it further standardizes its proprietary material within the bowels of the US defense establishment.

This project will specifically look at fatigue life in thin-walled components, a huge problem over the life of a part, especially under cyclical load or stress. This will be part of the work conducted by the AddWorks team. The outcome of that will be very valuable to those working in aerospace generally, but specifically those interested in heat sinks. NAVAIR also gets three M Line and one M2 Series 5 3D printer as part of the deal. There will also be training for machine operators, designers, and more.

Lars Bruns, executive technology leader at Colibrium Additive, said,

“Colibrium Additive is proud to extend its support of NAVAIR with proven metal additive technology and deep application expertise. By combining certified hardware with licensed process data and hands-on training, we are helping accelerate the Navy’s ability to produce repeatable, airworthy components at scale and reduce supply chain risk for critical aviation parts.”

With the US losing around 30 airframes in the latest Iran engagement, this is a very opportune time to be getting this contract. Carrier groups are also at sea for much longer than intended. When that happens, all sorts of unexpected things will break. This seems a lot like a gradual capability increase for NAVAIR to help support US Navy aircraft throughout their lifecycle. But in the current situation, the NAVAIR system, and indeed the Navy, are under stress not seen for many decades. The Navy is operating far outside its comfort zone. With too few new ships coming online and repairs taking too long, it faces a real capability gap.

The world’s largest Air Force is the US Air Force; the world’s second-largest Air Force is the US Navy. With around 2,500 aircraft in service, the force is indeed formidable. If you made a top five of Air Forces around the world, that top five may include China, but it would definitely include the US Army and the US Marine Corps. So getting standardized within NAVAIR is a big deal globally. And this is happening right now and is even more impactful.

This is a good win for Colibrium, which seems to have retreated somewhat given its erstwhile ambitions. Its closeness to GE Aerospace makes it well-suited to carry out this project. Indeed, the company will have looked very deeply at these materials in this way previously. If the company could keep growing within the Navy, it could very well find itself with a long, deep relationship with a very big client. The amount of inventory out there and the pressing need could be financially very impactful in the long run.

Image courtesy of Colibrium Additive