reddit455 t1_jdekuc7 wrote
Reply to comment by sifuyee in 3D-printed rocket fails just after launch by APnews
>Since repeatability is not great for printed parts that means each piece has to be thoroughly tested before use which adds expense of its own, or risk if you don't follow a full test program. I think we will see that reliability is a challenge with their approach.
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85% printed by mass, including the engines. they fuse metal powder with lasers.
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"desktop" version
https://www.protolabs.com/services/3d-printing/direct-metal-laser-sintering/
High Resolution 0.00079 in. 20 microns
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the only reason spaceX can turn a falcon9 around so quick is because they DO NOT need to test parts... they make many precise copies quickly.. no leaky fuel valves please.
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SpaceX Reveals 3D-Printed Rocket Engine Parts
https://www.designnews.com/design-hardware-software/spacex-reveals-3d-printed-rocket-engine-parts
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using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).
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SpaceX's first 3D-printed rocket engine part already launched on the Falcon 9 rocket in January for the THAICOM 6 mission. One of the rocket's Merlin 1D engines contained a 3D-printed main oxidizer valve (MOV) body. The valve operated correctly with high-pressure liquid oxygen, withstanding high vibration and cryogenic temperatures. The printed valve body has better strength, fracture resistance, and ductility than a part made with traditional casting, as well as lower variability in material properties. It was also a lot faster to make, being printed in two days instead of several months. The valve is now qualified to fly on all Falcon 9 flights.
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>that reliability is a challenge with their approach.
i don't think so.. I suspect this booster is still flying.
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March 18, 2022
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/03/spacex-booster-reuse-record-starlink/
Saturday’s mission marked the first time a Falcon 9 booster flew for a 12th time and brought the total number of Starlink satellites launched to over 2,300.
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this is the horizontal printer that welds wires for the body components and tanks.
Relativity unveils Stargate 4th Generation metal 3D printer with horizontal printing capability
Relativity says that its new Stargate printer technology ‘defies traditional printing constraints’ by moving horizontally as it feeds multiple wires into a single print head. The company is also confident that the Stargate 4th Generation technology are capable of printing a rocket with 100x fewer parts in a matter of months, while customised software and machine learning techniques are being developed to support the printing of more complex and larger metal products.
sifuyee t1_jdlfkeh wrote
I helped do some testing for a company using DMLS printing of advanced materials for small rocket engines a few years back. About 1/3 of the prints would be so flawed they wouldn't even bother testing, about 1/3 of the remainder would fail to hold pressure when capped, about 10% of those that passed would fail flow test (have some obstruction) and about 8% would fail under hot fire test once they got to temperature. So, sure, you can give it a fancy brand name, but getting the secret sauce just right, is not easy nor cheap. For reference, we were producing engines aimed at the small satellite market primarily but could be used as upper stage roll thrusters, so 50-100 lbf regeneratively cooled biprops using LOx on one side and a variety of fuel options on the other.
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