Nikon Superior Manufacturing is partnering with America Makes to speed up using steel additive manufacturing (AM) for aerospace and defence functions.
The multi-phase $2.1 million challenge, funded by the Workplace of the Underneath Secretary of Protection, Manufacturing Know-how Workplace (OSD ManTech), will even embrace enter from Constellium, ASTM Worldwide and 3Degrees, and will probably be suggested by a consortium of consultants from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Normal Atomics, and Honeywell Aerospace Applied sciences.
Hamid Zarringhalam, CEO of Nikon Superior Manufacturing, stated, “We’re dedicated to accelerating and scaling steel additive manufacturing for defence and aerospace functions. Producers recognise AM’s super potential to handle gaps within the protection industrial base, significantly via high-performance supplies and superior applied sciences like Nikon SLM Options’ large-format NXG XII 600 collection laser powder mattress fusion techniques.”
The primary two phases will concentrate on advancing the adoption of Constellium’s Aheadd CP1 Aluminum alloy, which is regarded as well-suited to 3D printing thermal administration and warmth exchanger elements. Nikon Superior Manufacturing will check and validate the fabric through its Nikon AM Synergy enterprise, which relaunched final yr at Nikon’s Lengthy Seashore superior manufacturing centre with a concentrate on steel AM for aerospace and defence. From this, Nikon will create materials datasets which it says will act as a ‘essential enabler’ for the Division of Protection and business aerospace functions, and will probably be launched by the US authorities to certified companions within the defence and aerospace ecosystem.
“This challenge focuses on fundamental and intermediate-level property characterisation, and we are going to kind a collaborative Authorities Advisory Staff with the Joint Additive Manufacturing Working Group (JAMWG) to assist program direction-setting, evaluate, and go/no-go choices, in addition to to information the Materials Property Dataset switch into the Workbench for Additive Supplies (WAM) database,” defined Dr. Behrang Poorganji, Nikon Superior Manufacturing Vice President of Know-how.
Following acquisitions of SLM Options and Morf3D in 2023, Nikon has continued to develop on its steel AM capabilities with the launch of a 90,000-square-foot AM Know-how Middle in California and Additive Manufacturing Know-how Middle in Japan. Furthering its dedication to aerospace and defence sectors, final yr the corporate additionally recruited retired U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen and launched a DED steel 3D printer and 3D scanner combo geared particularly in the direction of turbine blade restore functions. It additionally just lately commenced a Sponsored Analysis Settlement with Superior Powders and Coatings Inc. (AP&C) and the College of Waterloo targeted on restore capabilities for high-value aerospace elements utilizing titanium alloys.
