Aurora Labs has announced it is undertaking a Print Demonstration Campaign that will see its development metal 3D printing system operate for 1,000 hours in less than three months.
The campaign is designed to demonstrate A3D’s machine, architecture and subsystems are able to meet the requirements for draft SAE international aerospace printing specifications AMS7039 and AMS7032. If successful, Aurora Labs suggests it will be the first additive manufacturing equipment company to approve its metal 3D printing technology according to these standards with 1500W laser power.
Aurora Labs will put its Beta prototype printer through a four-phase project that comprises a series of 24 builds. The parts, which will all be printed in 316L stainless steel, will undergo various radiographic, metallurgical, mechanical and chemical tests that will help to assess their density, tensile and fatigue properties. In total, Aurora Labs expects to produce 500+ test specimens, 100+ test artefacts and 50 parts, using around 350kg of meted material. To be successful, the results must be repeatable and consistent across all four phases.
“We look forward to completing the demonstration campaign and sharing the results with prospective clients, partners and the wider AM community,” commented A3D CEO Peter Snowsill. “A positive result will validate our capability for a wide range of industry applications that Aurora is pursuing, not just limited to aerospace. Demonstrating A3D’s technology methodically with careful data collection is an important part of our commercialisation strategy, adding to a bank of information that can be shared with prospective partners. The results will also assist in securing contract printing clients as we promote print services to local industry. We are confident of achieving success and look forward to presenting the outcomes.”
The project is being endorsed by The Barnes Global Advisors, who has provided rigorous analysis and consultation to Aurora Labs during the company’s commercialisation phase.
“I am especially excited with Aurora Lab’s efforts to demonstrate both the reliability and capability of their high-power system,” offered Kevin Slattery, Principal Advisor at The Barnes Global Advisors. “I am also interested in generating data that will show the applicability of the two specifications I have been working on with the AMSAM-M team at a much higher level of power and productivity than those available to many users.”
