Key Takeaways
- NASA has awarded a contract to Phase3D to advance in-situ monitoring for metal additive manufacturing (AM)
- The project aims to reduce the qualification timeline for space components by 2-3x and lower the rejection rate of up to 30%
- Phase3D will partner with an aerospace and propulsion prime to deploy its Fringe Inspection and Fringe Qualification systems on the EOS M300-4 machine
- The project will use structural brackets made from Invar 36 (Iron-Nickel alloy) as a test case
Introduction to Metal Additive Manufacturing
Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is a crucial technology for the "new space" industry, but it faces challenges in terms of data quality and validation. The principle of "garbage in, garbage out" is highly relevant to metal AM, where the quality of the data used can significantly impact the final outcome. To address this issue, Phase3D, a provider of hardware and software solutions for metal AM in-situ monitoring (ISM), has been awarded a contract by NASA to advance the field.
Project Overview
The project involves the deployment of Phase3D's Fringe Inspection (hardware) and Fringe Qualification (software) systems on the EOS M300-4 machine, a quad laser machine. The goal is to reduce the qualification timeline for space components produced with metal AM, which can currently take more than 18 months. The project will use structural brackets made from Invar 36 (Iron-Nickel alloy) as a test case.
Comparison of Current and Proposed Methods
| Method | Qualification Time | Rejection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Current Method | > 18 months | up to 30% |
| Proposed Method | 2-3x reduction | reduced rejection rate |
Benefits of the Project
The project has the potential to significantly reduce the cost and time associated with qualifying space components produced with metal AM. By improving the qualification process and reducing the rejection rate, the project can help increase the adoption of metal AM in the "new space" industry.
Conclusion
In a statement, Dr. Niall O'Dowd, founder and CEO of Phase3D, emphasized the importance of advancing in-situ monitoring for metal AM. With the support of NASA, Phase3D is well-positioned to make significant progress in this field.
Bottom Line
The NASA-funded project to advance in-situ monitoring for metal additive manufacturing has the potential to transform the "new space" industry by reducing the qualification time and rejection rate of space components produced with metal AM. With the deployment of Phase3D's Fringe Inspection and Fringe Qualification systems, the project aims to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of metal AM, paving the way for wider adoption in the industry.