What began as a prototyping concept, 3D printing has become an essential tool in aerospace and an important technology to scale production, develop fully functional parts, and lower part costs. This is especially critical for the U.S. Air Force (USAF), which is under constant pressure to accelerate aircraft repairs, reduce costs, and get aircraft back in the air quickly. Plus, for many aging aircraft, replacement parts are scarce, and it can be difficult to find manufacturers willing to resume production for parts that may not be reordered for many years.

To address these challenges, the USAF has begun a multi-year collaborative contract with Texas-based Essentium to drive development and deployment of advanced additive manufacturing (AM) solutions for applications in tooling; ground support; maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO); and flight-certified parts for military aircraft and ground vehicles through the Air Force and the National Guard Bureau (NGB). Their big push is for sustainment and lifecycle management of aging aircraft.

Driving development

The Essentium-USAF project team will test and develop new materials and processes using the company’s high speed extrusion (HSE™) 3D printing platform, which prints parts 5x to 15x faster than competing systems.

“Essentium demonstrated it has the expertise and capabilities to create parts with consistent replication using the Essentium HSE 3D printing platform,” says Elisa Teipel, Ph.D., chief development officer and co-founder of Essentium. “We’ll work together to drive additive manufacturing technology forward and for faster aircraft repairs that massively reduce time to deliver parts to keep our war fighters ready.”

The platform allows for rapid part production at the point of use and decreases new material certification times. It has the size, speed, and capacity to operate at scale.

Additionally, a machine on the ground, at a base, or at a location that can print provides supply chain efficiencies for on-demand and expeditionary parts.

The HSE 3D printer’s open platform enables a larger variety of materials and there’s more room for development. It can make molds to create tools or quantities of end-use parts. Something new can be created each day, without the need for retooling.

A key component is the HSE Hozzle, a nozzle with an integrated heating and temperature sensing unit that can heat to 550°C in three seconds. It has a sapphire tip, allowing users to extrude high-performance materials. Leveraging these capabilities, the Essentium-USAF team is also focusing on two types of materials important for the industry – high-temperature and ground support materials. Materials must resist high temperatures and chemicals due to the different lubricants and additives used. Additionally, it’s imperative to have materials that are also anti-corrosive to avoid harm by the rigorous additives, fuels, and liquids used in production, Teipel explains.

For the Air Force, which is no longer relying solely on traditional supply chains, the HSE 3D printers also allow them to execute their forward way of thinking.

“That’s another key breakthrough,” Teipel adds. “It used to be that you could design things as an engineer, but you couldn’t manufacture. With additive, you can design things that you can print that you could have never made before.”

The platform also addresses the challenge of developing replacement parts.

According to Teipel, the USAF estimates nearly 10,000 replacement part requests are delayed each year. In some cases, they’re not able to get the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to make the part, or it’s no longer available. There are some critical pieces that cause aircraft to be grounded, therefore, airworthy parts, as well as those on the ground including jigs and fixtures, need to be tailored specifically. Additive is a transformative approach for these industry requirements, delivering improved performance for replacement parts and advancing ground tooling and technology.

Additive ecosystem

With AM technology, Essentium is focused on equipping the Air Force with tools for training so they can maximize use and deploy it to become a key component for their already well-established ecosystem. Accelerating the industrial scale of 3D printing will allow it to play a role in the supply chains and keep factory floors and USAF depots moving. Therefore, if a crisis occurs, or if there’s some type of supply shortage, having the machine in place will provide the necessary flexibility to meet demand.

“It’s really about getting this technology in the hands of men and women and making sure that they’re able to use it and design what they need for their world, what they need to keep us all safe, and design what they need to for everyday use,” Teipel says.

Teipel goes on to explain how additive is already being used in the Air Force, but the difference is that this is industrial additive. It’s additive at scale, not a trinket, prototyping, or one-off part; it’s actually a way to build up inventory.

“We’re a materials-first company, so we’re poised to continue to lead in that area and help understand all the different things you can do with this tool, depending on materials and the application,” Teipel says. “So, we’re really doing a deep dive into the applications and providing materials that can be used across the Air Force and the U.S Department of Defense.”

The project is also demonstrating how additive is transforming the Department of Defense, as well as the commercial side of aerospace. Teipel predicts that more industries, both public and private, will continue to partner to bring more AM into their ecosystem and advance production in newer ways.

Essentium Inc.

U.S. Air Force

About the author: Michelle Jacobson is the assistant editor of AM&D. She can be reached at mjacobson@gie.net or 216.393.0323.

As the Space Race creates a need for accelerated manufacturing and more innovative design, aerospace engineers are facing growing pressure to quickly create new technology. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas estimated that by 2040, the market for space-related products and services will reach more than $1 trillion.

Core components driving the projected growth and making new space technologies possible are electronic design innovations. Aerospace printed circuit boards (PCBs) must operate in harsh environments without requiring maintenance and repairs, creating greater emphasis on the manufacturing process. Designing electronics for aerospace technology requires engineers to operate within certain limitations on available components, material types, equipment capabilities, board fabrication, and PCB assembly (PCBA) methods. Avionic engineers rely heavily on iterative prototype manufacturing to perfect designs, but the traditional electronics hardware development process is slow, laborious, and often generates mixed results.

An alternative is software-powered PCBA manufacturing. By working with a smart factory driven by agile hardware and software development processes, avionics engineers save time and resources, gaining valuable insights into the manufacturability of their designs.

Photo courtesy of Tempo Automation

Automating the build process

Software-based PCBA manufacturing in a smart factory relies on automation, robotics, and a digital thread, using end-to-end software automation to expedite the build process extending from the moment a board design is received, through its journey to completion. The flow of information from the engineer’s design to the machines and the people on the connected factory floor are all part of an automated process.

Key benefits include faster board turnarounds and a higher level of quality and design certainty.

Design traceability, visibility

When something goes wrong, engineers need to be able to adjust for improvement, but this can only be done when there’s highly granular traceability – critical because it determines the specific cause for error or defect. For critical systems in high-risk environments, it’s even more essential for engineers to be able to make component or design changes based on real-time data analytics.

Electronics manufacturer Tempo Automation, for example, developed proprietary software that creates a Fabrication Simulation, also known as a board visualizer tool, allowing engineers to see and examine a manufacturing-aware representation of the PCB before they commit to manufacture. The simulation shows a photorealistic view of the outer layers, including silkscreen, soldermask, surface finish, and top or bottom copper. Fabrication Simulation leverages software automation to unify traditionally disparate manufacturing data into an easy-to-understand visual preview. With a software-based approach, specific PCB material layers are simulated, intelligently overlaying the component placement information from the manufacturing bill of materials (BOM).

During prototyping, boards typically go through several iterations. With added traceability, engineers can identify specific issues, often related to the board’s materials or designability, and make changes before the product goes into production.

All parts and components are tracked in Tempo’s database, along with batch, lot, origination, and other material information, so traceability begins even before a CAD is uploaded and parts are ordered. The system tracks manufacturing data and materials used throughout the entire board build process, creating a comprehensive forensics data package that can pinpoint any issue within the board.

In addition to traceability, visibility into the status of a PCB order and into the progress of assembly are also key for ensuring projects stay on track. Today’s PCB manufacturing is a black box to the engineers, denying visibility until they get their board: After an order is placed with a contract manufacturer, engineers will often hear nothing about the build until it’s shipped back to them. This approach to PCB manufacturing keeps engineers in the dark, limiting their ability to plan.

In Tempo’s software-based smart factory, the software includes the Order Tracker which shows the board order in each step of the assembly and build process. From the initial design for manufacturing (DFM) review, to parts and fabrication check-in, assembly, and a final QA check, engineers are kept informed of the build status and are given full transparency into the timeline and expected delivery date, helping ensure their project stays on track.

Software-first landing system

Leveraging this software-based PCBA process, Tempo partnered with NASA in 2018, and worked as a contract manufacturer (CM) for its Mars 2020 Rover Mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) was developing the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) system responsible for monitoring and controlling the spacecraft’s landing. However, while the descent takes roughly 7 minutes, there’s about a 14-minute delay in transmitting signals from Mars to Earth. Therefore, the Rover must make any necessary corrections or adjustments independently, without help from the controllers on Earth. Unexpected contingencies (such as overheating or slamming into Mars’ surface or another object) could damage the Rover or end the mission.

The development of the electronics systems for the Mars 2020 Rover EDL camera system was a multi-year project. To ensure quality standards were met within the allotted schedule, NASA needed a CM that could build boards fast, respond to and resolve adjustments quickly, and meet IPC 610 Class 3 or J-STD-001 with Space Addendum standards.

Tempo performed several inspections during assembly, using tools such as the Fabrication Simulation, to ensure secure component mounting. A component assembly problem was detected during an automated optical inspection (AOI) and was traced to a problem with the silkscreen design. This discovery and Tempo’s suggested solution led to improved design with minimal impact on the product development schedule. Additional feedback from Tempo also led to minor changes to enhance board quality.

Overall, by leveraging a software-based approach for PCBA, NASA was able to save critical time and expense on the project and make important changes to the design to optimize and improve it.

Tempo Automation

About the author: Ryan Saul is senior director of sales engineering at Tempo Automation. He can be reached at or 415. 320.1261 or ryan@tempoautomation.com.

Digital CNC system

Sinumerik One digital CNC system features a new hardware platform and versatile software for creating a digital twin.

As part of the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal, machine builders can shorten development and commissioning times up to 50%. Programmable logic controller (PLC) and safety are engineered in the framework with modern programming languages and seamless data flow.

Its integrated Simatic S7-1500F failsafe PLC allows for uniform, centralized data handling for efficient engineering and reduced potential for errors from inconsistent data. Drag-and-drop is used to network peripherals and establish communication links with other machine components. Users can also create software libraries with ready-made hardware configurations, and function-and-software modules in TIA Portal, standardizing development of the CNC machine.

Siemens

Removing burrs and sharp edges in cross-drilled holes and other difficult-to-access machined areas such as undercuts, grooves, slots, or internal holes can be tedious and time consuming. A particular challenge: deburring the intersection of cross-drilled holes in jet engine components.

Despite challenges, removing burrs is a must for high-quality, precision parts. Cross-drilled holes act as conduits for fluids, lubricants, and gases, so failing to remove burrs can block critical passages or create turbulence in the flow. Burrs can also lead to part misalignments, affect dimensional tolerances, and limit overall component efficiency.

Huntington Beach, California-based Delta Machine Co. LLC, a machine shop specializing in complex, tight-tolerance aerospace parts made of titanium, nickel, exotic alloys, stainless steel, aluminum, and plastics, pays close attention to deburring tools.

Delta Machine President Janos Garaczi still runs manufacturing to ensure everything is working well. He started with the company as a machinist, eventually working his way to president and owner and remains responsible for much of the programming, setups, and purchasing.

Flexible hones

In the past decade, the machine shop has relied on flexible hones for cross-hole deburring, cylindrical honing, surface finishing, edge-blending, and cleaning.

“Eliminating burrs is critical, because if any loose material gets dislodged during use, there can be serious consequences,” Garaczi says.

By integrating flexible hones in the machining process, complex aerospace parts with difficult-to-access features can be deburred, honed, and surface finished in-house, at less cost.

Garaczi uses the Flex-Hone from Los Angeles-based Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM). Characterized by the small, abrasive globules permanently mounted to flexible filaments, it offers cross-hole deburring, honing, surfacing, and edge-blending. Available in a variety of abrasive types, sizes, and grit selections, the tools can cost-effectively smooth edges and produce a blended radius for cross-hole deburring.

The machine shop incorporates Flex-Hones in various sizes in its tool carousels.

“We might use two to three different- size hones for a part, depending on the number of cross-port intersections and different hole sizes,” Garaczi explains. “However, it’s really easy to put a Flex-Hone in a toolholder, give it a simple toolpath cycle, and let it run.

“For deburring holes and honing when we need to clean up a component, it’s the easiest tool for us to use,” Garaczi adds. “I haven’t found another tool that can do what a Flex-Hone can, whether for multiple cross holes or internal grooves. There’s really no way to effectively reach those areas with any other tool. We’re making more complex aerospace parts, especially housings with ports all over the part. That’s where the hone comes in really handy.”

For best results, the deburring tool is typically rotated into the main bore where the cross holes break. After a few clockwise strokes, the tool is removed, and the spindle reversed to rotate and stroke the flexible hone counterclockwise for a few more strokes. The forward and reverse rotations create a symmetrical deburring pattern. Coolant keeps metal cuttings and deburred metal in suspension.

Deburring superalloys

According to Garaczi, removing burrs can be particularly problematic when dealing with aerospace superalloys such as titanium, Monel, Inconel, Incoloy, Invar, Rene, and Hasteloy – some of the most difficult materials to machine.

“Even during grooving, if you cut the material from one side, it just pushes the burr to the edge; and if you approach it from the other side, it just pushes it back,” Garazci says. “It doesn’t want to break off the material cleanly. As soon as the tool gets a bit dull, it gets a lot worse. So, sharp tools with the right geometry are key.”

Garaczi notes that the Flex-Hone is available with a premium nickel coated diamond abrasive for materials such as carbide, ceramic and aerospace steel alloys; as well as a cubic boron nitride (CBN) option that is even harder for superalloys which can exhibit high ductility and work hardening that produce a gummy machining behavior if the correct abrasive tool isn’t used.When deburring superalloys such as titanium or 13-8 stainless alloy, the hone has been very helpful.

“Most of the 13-8 we machine is heat-treated, so it’s subject to significant burrs. The hone is ideal for removing even the most stubborn burrs,” Garaczi says. He’s installing the flexible hones into CNC equipment to automate the process and reduce the time required to finish superalloys and stainless steels.

Using the hone is helping Delta Machine cope with COVID-19 by accommodating more automated work.

“It’s difficult for a person to reliably repeat deburring to the level of quality required. Automating this work with the CNC machine usually will produce more consistent results, while enabling greater social distancing among our staff on the production floor,” Garaczi says.

Brush Research Mfg. Co. Inc.

Delta Machine Co. LLC

Diamond is the hardest material known and the most resistant to abrasion, making it – including synthetic diamonds such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD) – ideal for cutting tools. PCD tools notably offer longer cutting life, can operate at higher cutting speeds, and have exceptional performance processing non-ferrous materials such as aluminum and composites.

Forming PCD

Diamond can be synthesized by subjecting carbon’s hexagonal phase to extreme pressures and temperatures by using large hydraulic presses. Using a catalyst eases conversion of graphite to a harder cubic phase.

PCD producers mix diamond powders and place them on a cemented carbide substrate disc and encase that in a protective metal canister. The capsule is then loaded into the high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) system for 30 mins. to 120 mins.

Manufacturing application demands determine the choice of PCD tooling cutting tool material. The important requirements to consider are abrasion resistance, toughness, strength, and workpiece finish. The ability to grind, EDM materials, and cutting edge quality also influence grade choice to achieve the best abrasion resistance and toughness.

Photos courtesy Arch Cutting Tools

Putting PCD to work

Creating and selecting the right PCD grade is only the beginning. Making an accurate, effective PCD cutting tool requires expertise, high-level engineering, and innovation.

“Design and application engineering are critical to creating PCD cutting tools,” says Charlie Novak Jr., Arch® Cutting Tools’ business development manager/coordinator Arch Specials. “Focusing on providing an overall solution and working on the process instead of focusing on simply creating a single tool is important.

“It’s even better if that can be accomplished with no outsourcing, so a single tooling provider can deliver a total solution to a manufacturer, from materials to finished tooling, and then support that solution with professional services.”

Novak notes that Arch offers “innovative design and application engineering with a dedicated team of design engineers operating within our proprietary process capable of responding to today’s accelerated demands.”

Arch Cutting Tools process delivers total tool tolerances as tight as 0.003mm, and inspection reports are available for every tool produced.

Arch Specials will re-tip its tools with turn-around within two weeks to maintain productivity for its customers. Additionally, Novak adds, Arch Specials will re-tip tools from competitors to support its customers.

The secret to the best tooling solutions lies in the process behind the design and application engineering.

“In reality, our customers are buying a hole – sort of the middle of the doughnut,” says Charlie Novak Sr., general manager – Arch Mentor (Ohio). “What they need is a precise hole in their product and they’re relying on our tool to create that hole; and it has to be right the first time and right every time.”

Although cutting tools represent a relatively small percentage of the total cost to manufacture a specific product, the cost of lost production because of the tool’s failure to perform properly can be substantial. PCD cutting tools can last up to 25x longer than an equivalent carbide tool.

Correct cutting parameters are key to realizing the true value of PCD compared to other cutting tools, adds Novak Jr.

“An operation can generally machine much faster. At higher speeds with increased chip load, the greatest increase is with speed. PCD maintains a sharper edge and has a lower coefficient of friction. Those characteristics, coupled with the proper speeds and feeds, will result in better surface finish and increased throughput.”

PCD cutting tools, created through a rigorous design and application engineering process, deliver longer tool life – requiring less adjustment throughout the life of the tooling, with more throughput, to capture all available cost savings for manufacturers without compromising quality or productivity.

Arch Cutting Tools