Shealy R., Michaud N., Diaz A.
REM Surface Engineering, US
Keywords: additive manufacturing, aerospace, propulsion, space, superalloys, superfinishing
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is revolutionizing many industries, including the aerospace and space industries. AM allows for rapid printing, greatly reduced lead times, and complex designs/features not possible via traditional manufacturing. Additionally, AM has facilitated a range of new alloys and superalloys with extremely high mechanical and performance characteristics, representing great potential for space components such as firing chambers and fuel nozzles with complex internal cooling channels. Unfortunately, as-printed AM components also carry many inherent challenges and issues that can hinder performance or even lead to critical component failure, hindering access to the benefits described above. These defects include partially sintered/unsintered powders, surface waviness/roughness, and surface and near-surface porosity as artifacts of the printing process. REM Surface Engineering, founded in 1965, has been a leading provider of isotropic superfinishing services in traditional industries for decades. We have recently adapted our existing technologies and developed new technologies to create a superfinishing process capable of remediating all surface and near surface defects on AM components. In a process which combines unique proprietary chemical polishing and chemical/mechanical polishing, we are able to remediate all surface defects, as well as near surface defects, as well as polish internal channels/non-line-of-sight surfaces (something which traditional processes such as machining cannot accomplish). Furthermore, the process has been proven to increase fatigue life and performance over as-printed parts. This presentation will focus on detailed examples of the implementation of the current technology and its resulting performance benefits, as well as potential examples of component applications possible for future research. Examples of existing and potential space component implementation to be reviewed include: nozzles; combustion chambers; barrels; thruster chamber assemblies; cooling channels; fuel injectors; impellers & blisks; structural components including brackets, lattices, and honeycombs; and power transmission components. Some of the proven benefits to be reviewed include: increased high cycle fatigue life; uniform hotwall thickness reduction for cooling; uniform surface roughness reduction for cleanliness/coating and overlap adhesion; cooling channel FOD removal; cooling channel/fuel injector roughness reduction for reduced flow resistance/pressure; controllable cooling channel/fuel injector diameter increase; removal of detrimental oxide layers due to HIP; elimination of granular roughness; improved contact fatigue life for power transfer components; improved flow dynamics for turbomachinery; uniform metal removal from highly complex component shapes including iterative/bionic designs, lattices, and honeycombs (allowing for ultra-thin wall generation.)
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: TechConnect Briefs 2022
Published: June 13, 2022
Pages: 91 - 94
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topics: 3D Printing, Advanced Manufacturing
ISBN: 979-8-218-00238-1