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Additively Manufactured Optical Ice Detector by GKN Aces In-Flight Test Aerospace

by Aerospace

GKN Aerospace has successfully flown an enhanced ice protection system (IPS) that allows for a more targeted and efficient defence against ice accretion. The UK company is the global leader in electro thermal IPS and flew its patented Optical Ice Detector (OID) on-board the Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM), based at Cranfield, UK. The titanium probe housing was enabled by GKN’s laser powder bed manufacturing process.

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Optomec’s ALSS Development Earns NASA SBIR Contract 3D Printing Processes

by Aerospace

Optomec, a leading global supplier of production-grade additive manufacturing systems for 3D printed electronics and 3D printed metals, today announced that the company was awarded a NASA SBIR contract for the further development of an Adaptive Laser Sintering System (ALSS) The success of this endeavor will enable electronic circuitry to be printed onto a wider variety of temperature sensitive substrates expanding its use for production applications. The fully automated system will also enable printed circuitry to be repaired or manufactured with minimal human intervention paving the way for its use in long duration NASA space missions.

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GE Additive’s New One Cubic Meter ATLAS Metal AM System to Be Presented at Formnext 3D Printer Hardware

by Aerospace

Additive machines fuse together fine layers of powdered metal with a laser beam and print three-dimensional objects directly from a computer file. With few limits on the final shape, the method gives engineers new freedoms and eliminates the need for factories filled with specialized machines or expensive tooling. “This is an engineer’s dream,” Ehteshami says.

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GKN delivers 3D printed Ariane 6 nozzle to Airbus Safran Launchers Aerospace

by Aerospace

GKN Aerospace has delivered the first advanced Ariane 6 nozzle (SWAN) to Airbus Safran Launchers in France for the Vulcain 2.1 engine. The new state of the art nozzle, which measures 2.5m in diameter incorporates innovative technologies with higher performance, lower lead times and substantial cost reduction. Large scale use of laser welding and laser metal deposition (additive manufacturing) for key structural features resulted in a 90% reduction of component parts, taking it down from approximately 1000 parts to 100 parts.

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GKN Aerospace and ORNL Sign Five Year AM Research Deal 3D Printing Processes

by Aerospace

GKN Aerospace and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have signed a five-year research agreement focused on additive manufacturing. Utilizing the DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL, this $17.8 million USD cooperative research and development agreement will advance the family of hugely promising additive manufacturing processes, supporting progress towards their use in the manufacture of major, structural components for aircraft.