Sintavia, which 3D prints thermal components for the aerospace, defense and space industry, has acquired two M4K-4 printers from Germany-based AMCM GmbH.
According to Sintavia, both M4K-4s, which are stretched versions of the EOS M400-4 printer, use four 1kW lasers to print single-unit components with dimensions of 450 mm x 450 mm x 1 m. The company plans to use the new machines to expand its portfolio of thrust chamber design and manufacturing for the commercial space industry, printing with copper and nickel alloys.
‘Since the acquisition of our first M400-4 three years ago, Sintavia has devoted tremendous resources to developing successful and repeatable operating procedures for the quad laser printing of extremely thin walls, such as those found in the thrust chamber of a rocket,’ said Brian Neff, Sintavia CEO. ‘We now have eight M400-4 quad laser printers, and we expect that the successful strategies employed on the M400-4 will likewise work on these new M4K-4 units.’
For most existing commercial rocketry currently in production today, the M4K-4 is able to manufacture the entire thrust chamber assembly as a single unit, including regenerative cooling passages, reducing manufacturing complexity and time, Sintavia said.
This story uses material from Sintavia, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
