The aerospace company Blue Origin is collaborating with the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) at Auburn University to improve the additive manufacturing of copper components. The collaboration will focus on the material characterization of copper alloys such as GRCop-42, which are of particular interest for highly thermally stressed applications in the aerospace sector.
“Blue Origin recently donated two EOS M290s to NCAME to assist in improving the utility of copper in additive manufacturing,” said NCAME director Nima Shamsaei, the Philpott-WestPoint Stevens Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering. “Copper’s high reflectivity presents challenges for traditional laser-based 3D printing systems to effectively melt and fuse the powder, as much of the laser energy is reflected.”
Due to its high reflection rate and thermal conductivity, copper is considered difficult to process in the laser powder bed process. A large proportion of the laser energy used is reflected, which makes it difficult to melt the powder evenly. In addition, the rapid heat dissipation leads to uncontrolled melt pools and potential structural defects in the component.
“Copper also has high thermal conductivity, which makes melting even more inefficient,” said NCAME research scientist Jonathan Pegues. “Once it finally melts, absorptivity increases and leads to inconsistent melt pool behavior and potential defects in the printed part. Specialized laser systems that couple better with copper are often needed to overcome these challenges, but certain alloys like GRCop-42 have proven to be printable with standard IRF lasers, like those integrated in the EOS M290.”
“We already had two EO2 M290s,” Shamsaei said, “but these new additions will allow us to expedite the sort of applied research that can support Blue Origin’s needs for this alloy.”
Certain copper alloys, such as GRCop-42, can be processed with standard infrared lasers used in systems like the EOS M290.
To support the research, Blue Origin has provided NCAME with two additional EOS M290 machines, effectively doubling the center’s existing machine capacity.
“Blue Origin is obviously one of the main companies on the frontlines of exploring the final frontier,” Shamsaei said. “It’s an exciting partnership.”
The partnership is part of Blue Origin’s long-term strategy to expand additive manufacturing for space-relevant components. With the successful commissioning of the New Glenn launch vehicle and the continued development of suborbital New Shepard flights, the demand for optimized materials capable of withstanding the extreme thermal and mechanical conditions in orbit is growing. Research into printable copper alloys is expected to contribute to meeting these demands more cost-effectively in the future.
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