AM Portal
From construction and bioengineering to aerospace and defense, Additive Manufacturing (AM) is revolutionizing manufacturing and has the potential to transform several industries. AM has been called the Second Industrial Revolution. The revolutionary aspect of AM is not uniform mass production of the First Industrial Revolution, but mass customization of manufactured devices. The AM technology allows a 3D shape to be defined in digital space to be directly transformed into a tangible object. The transformation by AM is fast and inexpensive compared to most traditional fabrication (5). Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is a type of additive manufacturing (AM) for manufacturing parts by melting metal powder layer by layer with an electron beam in a high vacuum. ASTM classifies EBM as a powder bed fusion technique, which also includes selective laser melting (SLM). The main difference is that EBM uses an election beam as its power source, as opposed to SLM which uses a laser. Alternatively, EBF3 uses an electron beam gun, a dual wire feed and computer controlled positioning, Figure 2, to manufacture metallic structures by depositing freestanding layers. Using a wire feedstock form enables the EBF3 process to be used in zero gravity without concern for handling or storage of metal powder. The EBF3 process will allow NASA to build spares and replacement parts in space or on other bodies such as the Moon or Mars, reducing the upmass required for supporting long duration space exploration.
| Figure 2: Schematic Diagram for EBF3 system components. (Source: Taminer and Hafley, NATO OTAN- AVT 139, p16-4- Nato unclassified) |
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| Engineers at NASA LaRC have been working on different aluminum alloys, Ti-6-4, Inconel 625, 316 Stainless Steel, and most recently a transition from copper to Inconel 625. Many parts with different shapes (straight walls, solid blocks, and various different shapes) have been built. |
Relevance to NASA
Advancements in additive manufacturing processes such as EBF3 will have great impact on many NASA mission directorates. The utility and importance of metallic materials manufacturing and in-space assembly, fabrication, and repair are acknowledged by specific inclusion in NASA’s Human Exploration Destination Systems (TA07) and Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems and Manufacturing (TA12) Technology Area Roadmaps. The National Research Council provided an independent assessment and identified advanced manufacturing as #6 priority among all technology areas within NASA’s roadmaps.
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) develops crosscutting, pioneering, new technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions. Under the Game Changing Development (GCD) program, the Low Cost Upper Stage Propulsion (LCUSP) project is using a combination of selective laser melting to produce a copper insert with integrated cooling channels, and EBF3 to directly deposit an Inconel structural jacket and manifolds onto the copper insert to produce an integrated rocket chamber and nozzle assembly. AM will substantially contribute to this new rocket nozzle concept with unprecedented performance and reduced weight, time and cost.
NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) works to solve important long-term challenges facing our nation’s air transportation system. ARMD’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program is focused on developing technologies that will enable aircraft to meet national goals for reduced fuel consumption, emissions and noise. The program’s Advanced Air Transport Technologies project is investing in EBF3 research to improve aircraft efficiency through advanced materials and novel structural design. The ability to economically produce unitized, biologically-inspired structures will lead to overall structural weight reductions and reduced fuel burn. Thus, EBF3 contributes directly to achieving the project goals as well as reducing the energy and environmental impact of aerospace manufacturing.
The Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) has highlighted the need for improved ways to manufacture spare parts on demand and to make efficient use of raw materials available on the Moon and Mars. It is impossible to envision or carry all the spare parts and raw materials that will be needed for future long-duration space missions and habitation—a new tool is clearly required. The EBF3 process is uniquely suited among competing additive manufacturing processes for deployment in space. Vacuum is readily available in space, unlimited by chamber size considerations, and wire-fed deposition is easily controllable and repeatable in reduced gravity compared to competing approaches that use powdered metal feedstock.
This is 30 Hours training during spring and fall semesters for students who wish to improve their skills in CNC. The training is intensive hands on that enable students to practice coding and machine set up in a small group. Students who finish the 30 hours will get certificate of completion of training.
Training Programs
NASA Langley Research Center in VA
Materials Processing Lab
Free Form Fabrication ( 2 students)
Summer 2017 ( 5/30 – 8/6)
Work on Freeform Fabrication for additive manufacturing (AM). Dimensional accuracy, material properties, micro-structure changes and characterization and surface finish remain as one of the challenges of AM and EBF3. Co-Is and students in collaboration with NASA LaRC will work on these aspects of EBF3. This will provide students with in depth expertise in ASTM standards and manufacturing processes and hands on research activities in  materials science and materials testing.Familiarity with AM processes, basic material characterization, research needs for replacement parts in space. Design for AM, detailed micro-structural characterization and heat treatment comparisons, research available resources on other planets. Recycling materials in AM feedstock, characterization of resulting materials, research inspection and certification requirements.
Deadline for applications 3/1/2017
NASA Goddard  Institute for Space Studies (GISS)
New York City College of Technology (City Tech)
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Design Tech
Additive Manufacturing Applications and System Design
Summer 2017 (6/19 – 8/10)
In collaboration with NASA GISS City Tech will be a host site for a GISS research team consists of High school teacher, high school student, and undergraduate student mentored by City Tech professors Dr. Malek Brahimi and Dr. Sidi Berri. The team will explore the underlying technologies in 3D printing, variation of material properties using different orientation for PLA, Nylon, and ABS, and introduction to free form fabrication.
New York City College of Technology (City Tech)
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Design Tech
The Summer Intensive Training Program (20 students)
6/12 – 6/29/2017
This is a 3-week intensive program to provide students exposure to the medical device and manufacturing industries. It will include hands on activities as well as many training sessions and seminars. The program will host comprehensive seminars presented by Mr. Joseph Lipman director of Device Development at HSS who will address medical device development in 2-day interactive seminar, and Dr. Michael Grieves who will present 3-day seminar in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). The seminar will offer certification in PLM that Dr. Grieves have established over 45 years of experience. Students will get practical experience also using CAD/CAM software in building a medical devices and a custom dental implant. Intensive training in using Mimics software (Materialise Corp., Belgium) for medical imaging. Introduction to mechatronics and robotics in medical devices will be also presented in one day. Most of the training is hands on training.
Dept. of Systems Engineering
North Carolina State University (NCSU)
Development of AM Portal (4 students)
6/7 – 6/17/2017
AM technologies are developing very rapidly and it becomes very difficult to stick to single static source to integrate AM into curriculum. To accommodate the fast development in AM technologies we will develop an electronic educational package that can be updated on an annual basis and new topics can be easily added. The goal is to develop an “open source” educational portal that can be used by anyone interested in teaching an undergraduate course in advanced manufacturing or AM. The educational material will be divided into blocks that will cover different aspects of advanced and AM and based on the structure of the course the instructor can mix and match the blocks to customize the course. This work will be collaboration between City Tech and NCSU. Each summer one or two faculty members accompanied by five students from City Tech will spend two weeks at NCSU structuring, testing and evaluating the developed material. Thus, the undergraduate students will be participating in creating the educational portal. Additionally, the students will spend time learning advance manufacturing processes available in the advance manufacturing facilities in NCSU including EBM technologies. Some of the laboratory exercises will be developed with limited facilities and equipment in mind so that other colleges that don’t have all the equipment can still benefit from this work.NCSU who will conduct one week summer camp for high school students to introduce them to AM. The students will learn about the basics of AM while working on a design and fabrication project throughout the week. Experience will be shared and exchanged between the two models for continuous improvement. City Tech team of students and professors will work also alongside NCSU students and professors to introduce and help K-12 students learn about AM. NCSU has one of biggest labs of AM nationwide which include state of the arts metallic 3D printers.
