NASA recently created and tested an additively manufactured, or 3D-printed, aluminum rocket engine nozzle that makes it lighter than traditional nozzles and can carry larger payloads, paving the way for deep space flights.

Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., partnered with Elementum 3D in Erie, Colo., to create a weldable form of aluminum that is sufficiently heat-resistant for use in rocket engines, according to the agency’s announcement of the collaboration. . Compared to other metals, aluminum has a lower density, allowing the creation of high-strength and lightweight components.

However, due to its poor resistance to extreme temperatures and tendency to crack during welding, aluminum has not generally been used in additive manufacturing of rocket engine parts until now.

Meet NASA’s latest development under the Reactive Additive Manufacturing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or RAMFIRE, project. RAMFIRE focuses on the development of lightweight, additively manufactured aluminum rocket nozzles. Nozzles are designed with small internal channels that keep the nozzle cool enough to prevent melting.

With traditional manufacturing methods, a nozzle may require up to a thousand individually assembled parts. The RAMFIRE nozzle is manufactured as a single unit, requiring far fewer connections and significantly reducing production time.

NASA and Elementum 3D first developed a new aluminum variant known as A6061-RAM2 for nozzle and powder modification used in Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED) technology. RPM Innovations (RPMI), another commercial partner in Rapid City, South Dakota, used newly invented aluminum and a proprietary powder to produce RAMFIRE injectors using the LP-DED process.

“Industrial partnerships with specialty manufacturing providers help expand the supply base and make additive manufacturing more accessible to NASA missions and the broader commercial and aerospace industries,” said Paul Gradle, RAMFIRE principal investigator at NASA Marshall.

NASA’s Moon to Mars goals require the ability to send more cargo into deep space. The new alloy can play an important role in this, allowing the production of lightweight rocket components that can withstand high structural loads. Source