Velo3D Boom Supersonic XB-1
Boom Supersonic has rolled out its XB-1 aircraft with 21 flight components additively manufactured by VELO3D.
The 21 printed components have been produced in titanium TI6AL4V with VELO3D’s Sapphire machine and represents a significant increase on the two components initially identified when their collaboration was announced in June 2019. A little more than a year on, the companies have increased the application of the Sapphire System tenfold and Boom Supersonic is unveiling its XB-1 aircraft, the prototype to its Overture vehicle, in its fully assembled form for the first time. Through its partnership with Stratasys, Boom has also used 3D printing to produce custom interior cabin parts.
Boom Supersonic is looking to develop aircrafts capable of supersonic flight in order to shorten the time it takes to travel by air. In its bid to fly dozens of passengers per plane at a time at speeds of around 1,500 miles per hour, the company has aligned with a number of 3D printing companies to tackle more complex geometries and reduce the weight of components.
After running a series of qualification trials on the VELO3D Sapphire System, Boom Supersonic has equipped its XB-1 aircraft with printed components in its engine hardware and environmental control system, with a number of structural parts elsewhere in the vehicle. There are twelve Variable Bypass Valve engine and fuselage manifolds, which help to route air released by the engine compressor to the aircraft’s outer mould line; four NACA ducts that capture exterior air and channel it into the aircraft to cool engine bays; exit louvers for the environmental control system that cools the cockpit and systems bay; and louvers that direct the centre inlet’s secondary bleed flow to the outer mould line.
Nathan Leach-Proffer
Boom Supersonic
Characteristics of the geometric designs are said to include walls as thin as 0.02 inches with high aspect ratios, which Boom has found difficult to achieve with traditional welding and casting technologies. All parts went through minimal finishing since Boom is currently concentrated on geometry and part strength at this phase, but they were heat treated and/ or hot isostatic press processed to enhance fatigue life. VELO3D say if smoother surfaces are required in the future, they should be ‘easy to accomplish.’
The company, which has spent 2020 expanding its product portfolio, procuring more investment and securing its largest ever order, believes its work with Boom Supersonic is significant for both the additive manufacturing and aerospace industries.
“Aviation hardware is especially difficult to manufacture with 3D metal printing, due to challenging aerodynamic designs that must be balanced with superior durability and high temperature requirements,” commented Benny Buller, CEO and Founder of VELO3D. “VELO3D’s technology allows the production of lightweight, complex designs for mission-critical applications in the toughest operating conditions. Our partnership with Boom is truly an advancement for the metal AM industry, and XB-1 supersonic aircraft is a game-changer for the aviation industry.”
“We strongly believe that supersonic is the future of flight and we’re appreciative of VELO3D in helping us to realise this goal with XB-1,“ added Mike Jagemann, Head of XB-1 Production at Boom Supersonic.
