FEBRUARY 20258MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTS8IN MY OPINIONIn the collective imagination, the space industry plays the role of the ultimate expression of technology and scientific research developments. It is true that it represents the sphere par excellence of experimentation and verification of the innovative technical solutions that have been both found and consolidated over the last 70 years, enabling a noticeable and tangible improvement in our daily lives.However, it is not uncommon for more ordinary requirements and discoveries, made for simpler purposes, to then become the focus of industry attention, as they can also potentially be used and improved upon within the space sector. In fact, this mutual exchange of information, ideasand solutions in the various fields of science is the real driving force behind the development and progress of our society.It is in this vision and perspective that the technique of 3D printing, which was invented in the 1980s to produce trivial objects, small toys and quick scale reproductions, has in a very short time also found application and development in the space sector, where two specific requirements have simultaneously emerged:1. Reducing operating costs by masses saving to be sent into space.2. Increased investment in manned scientific missions for planetary exploration and colonisationInitially, the focus was on the production of parts using the stereolithography (SLA) technique, which is based on the principle of melting metal alloy powders by laser, producing the necessary object layer by layer.The disruptive advantages of additive technology over machining technology stem mainly from the opposite basic principle.With this technique, material is added where it is needed and is not removed from a raw block with the limitations imposed by geometries, tools and the CNC machines themselves which, although increasingly advanced, bearinghigh-performance, and being better equipped with powerful CAD/CAM software, do not inherently have the versatility of Additive Manufacturing (AM).Flexibility, mass reduction and fast production are the main reasons for the huge popularity of 3D printing in the industrial sector; but for use in the space sector, tests, qualifications, and certifications are needed to attest to the usability, reliability and durability of the parts produced.This represents the meeting point between this production technique and our particular field of application.Today, the solutions offered between printable techniques and materials are uncountable, and not all of them can be used in space, because the particular operating environment and the operating time to be guaranteed require attention to be focused on a restricted list of applicable products and technologies.By Fabrizio Poscente,Head of Mechanical Technology andProcesses Engineering Department, Thales Alenia SpacePOLYMERIC MATERIAL FOR 3D PRINTING: NEW TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADING FOR SPACE APPLICATION
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