Airbus 2024
Airbus and AddUp have developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) what the companies say is the first metal 3D printer for space. The system will soon be tested aboard the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS). According to Airbus, the printer could be a “real game changer” for manufacturing in space and future missions to the Moon or Mars.
The project, known as "Metal3D" began in 2016 when the ESA awarded the contract to Airbus Defence & Space. A key objective was to create the first metal 3D printer to operate under microgravity, aboard the International Space Station. AddUp has been supporting the Airbus group for over a decade with a supply of flight parts, but also on a range of innovation projects.
There are already several polymer 3D printers on board the ISS, the first of which arrived in 2014. Astronauts have already used the systems to replace or repair plastic parts, since one of the major issues of everyday life in space is the supply of equipment, which can take months to arrive.
Airbus says this logistical constraint will intensify on future Moon and Mars stations in the next few decades. Even through raw material still needs to be launched, printing the part is still more efficient than transporting it whole up to its final destination.
“The metal 3D printer will bring new on-orbit manufacturing capabilities, including the possibility to produce load-bearing structural parts that are more resilient than a plastic equivalent,” said Gwenaëlle Aridon, Airbus Space Assembly Lead Engineer. “Astronauts will be able to directly manufacture tools such as wrenches or mounting interfaces that could connect several parts together. The flexibility and rapid availability of 3D printing will greatly improve astronaut’s autonomy.”
While the process of 3D printing has been “mastered” on Earth, 3D printing metal in space presents its own set of technical challenges. Sébastien Girault, Metal 3D Printer System Engineer at Airbus explained: “The first challenge with this technology was size. On Earth, current metal 3D printers are installed in a minimum ten square metre laboratory. To create the prototype for the ISS, we had to shrink the printer to the size of a washing machine. At this size, we can print parts with a volume of nine centimetres high and five centimetres wide.”
The second challenge is safety, protecting the ISS from the aggressive printing environment caused by the laser and the heat that it generates. The printer sits in a sealed metal box, which acts like a safe. Airbus says the melting point of metal alloys compatible with this process can be far over 1,200°C compared to around 200°C for plastic.
Airbus 2024
Specimen to be printed with the metal 3D printed aboard the ISS
“Gravity management is also key, which is why we chose wire-based printing technology. The wire is independent of gravity unlike the powder-based system, which always has to fall to the ground,” added Girault.
Fumes that are emitted have to be dealt with by filters and captured inside the machine so they do not contaminate the air inside the ISS. Aridon said: “Safety and contamination are key drivers for us not only for the ISS, but for future use on the Moon.”
AddUp's Technical Director, Sébastian Devroe added: "The development of the Metal 3D printer relies on the unique multidisciplinary expertise of AddUp's engineers and researchers. Our staff has expertise across a variety of additive manufacturing processes, machine design, programming, and operation optimisation. Our teams have supported the development of this first metal 3D printer, which will soon be in orbit. The metal 3D printer has been designed and optimised to meet the conditions and environment of the International Space Station."
Two 3D printers will be used for this experiment, to test if metal 3D printing is suited to a microgravity environment. The “flight model” will be inside the ISS, and the “engineering model” will be on Earth. The astronauts will 3D print four samples in space, which will be sent back to Earth for analysis. The same specimens will be manufactured using the engineering model printer.
Girault said: “In order to evaluate the effects of microgravity, ESA and Danish Technical University will perform mechanical strength and bending tests and microstructural analysis on the parts made in space and compare them to the other specimens.”
Airbus says that metal 3D printing onboard the ISS will help to improve the understanding of the quality of metal printing in orbit and provide valuable insights into operating a metal 3D printer in space. The company says that 3D printing structural parts in space is an important step in preparing the technologies humankind will need for a sustained presence on the moon.
“Increasing the level of maturity and automation of additive manufacturing in space could be a game changer for supporting life beyond Earth,” added Aridon. “Thinking beyond the ISS, the applications could be amazing. Imagine a metal printer using transformed regolith [moondust] or recycled materials to build a lunar base!”
Head of Engineering at Airbus Space Systems Elodie Viau said: "AddUp was chosen for this project based on a long history and partnership rooted in exploration and innovation. We are confident that with the knowledge and experience the AddUp team has, combined with the technological expertise of Airbus, together we would be successful in delivering a high quality and efficient metal 3D printer to support the exploration of space."
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