Uniformity Labs & SLM Solutions additively manufacture aerospace payload bracket to deliver enhanced performance

An unnamed aerospace company recently leaned on Uniformity Labs’ ultra-low porosity UniFuse Ti6Al4V powder for the additive manufacture of a payload bracket with SLM Solutions’ powder bed fusion technology.

The payload bracket, which is designed to support components within a satellite assembly, requires a high strength-to-weight ratio and heat resistance due to the harsh environments of space operations.

It was originally fabricated using Electron Beam Melting (EBM), but the aerospace company determined that EBM had process limitations compromising density, part accuracy, and resolution, thereby resulting in lower-quality parts. While other manufacturing processes like welding had been considered, welding the arms on a machined base would promote inconsistencies in the true position of the payload brackets, while warping would also create multiple failure modes around the welds. In addition, this method would add weight and cost, as well as subsequent quality control checks.

Uniformity is a provider of high-density metal powders and advanced manufacturing processes, designed to help users realise substantial quality and efficiency improvements in additive manufacturing at scale.

SLM Solutions is an integrated solutions provider and metal additive manufacturing partner. Robust Selective Laser Melting machines optimise fast, reliable, and cost-efficient part production and SLM Solutions’ experts work with customers at each stage of the process to provide the support that elevates the use of technology and ensures their return on investment is maximised.

For the production of the payload bracket, Uniformity Labs deployed an SLM 125 metal additive manufacturing system in tandem with its UniFuse Ti6Al4V powder and high-performance scanning parameters. This combination is said to have helped yield a reduced time to market thanks to a 1.5x reduction in build time, relative to printing at the same layer thickness.

Uniformity Labs/SLM Solutions

Some of the mechanical and density properties of Uniformity Labs’ UniForm Ti6Al4V include a 60μm layer thickness, an average of 99.96% density in the as-printed state, and a surface roughness in the Z direction (without treatment, μm) of 11.0 ± 1.0. It also boasts, after Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) an ultimate tensile strength (Rm z) of 1000 ± 7 MPa; ultimate tensile strength (Rm xy) of 1010 ± 6 MPa; yield strength (Rm z) 896 ± 10 MPa; and yield strength (Rm xy) 924 ± 7 MPa.

"The application of Uniformity Ti64 Grade 23 delivers material properties excellence and repeatability for our customers who require parts that perform to the highest standard in extreme conditions. Our powders deliver robust mechanical properties, low surface roughness, and high print yield, in addition to substantially increasing machine throughput." – Adam Hopkins, Uniformity Labs CEO.

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Meanwhile, using a laser powder bed fusion process in place of EBM or a traditional technique also eliminated several interim manufacturing steps, reducing costs, potential failure modes, and again, time to market.

The benefits of using the SLM 125 and UniFuse Ti6Al4V for the production of the payload bracket included:

Through the additive manufacture of the payload bracket with the SLM 125 and UniFuse Ti6Al4V, Uniformity Labs produced parts with superior mechanical properties compared to EBM, with no heat treatment required to improve mechanical properties post build. The part also exhibited superior yield strength by 19% and ultimate tensile strength superior by 24%. The combination of SLM's metal additive manufacturing technology and Uniformity Labs’ titanium powder also expedited the manufacture of the component with fewer workflow phases, helping to speed up time to market and lower costs.

"Uniformity Labs continues to demonstrate outsized value to our customers, harmonising AM materials and processes to deliver production scale additive manufacturing. Our powders deliver repeatable mechanical properties and surface finish uniformly across the print bed even when printing at throughputs that greatly exceed those possible with other materials. Our ‘No Compromise’ approach to AM enables our customers to realise cost-effective serial production." – Adam Hopkins, Uniformity Labs CEO.

by Sam Davies

15 May 2023

14:47