6K Additive – a manufacturer of sustainable metal powders for 3D printing, announced cooperation with Agile Space Industries – specializing in the production of space drives. The aim of the cooperation is to certify Ni625 powder for 3D printing of applications that will take part in the mission to the moon – including critical rocket parts.
6K Additive’s Ni625 powder is certified for use in an Agile manufacturing facility. The first parts to be produced will be used in Agile’s A2200 hypergolic engine. The engines are powered by pressurized, hypergolic bipropellant that does not require ignition. They have been designed to be as light as possible and at the same time offer maximum power. Thanks to the use of 3D printing technology, one engine weighs only 5.9 kg and produces a thrust of ~225 kgf.
This is how Kyle Metsger, director of additive technologies at Agile, explains the use of 3D printing technology: “85% of our engine components are additively manufactured, which means we rely heavily on powdered metal alloys that can withstand extreme temperatures and forces generated during launch and flight. 6K Additive enables us to additively manufacture using the high-quality powders that are required in our critical applications, while also helping us achieve our environmental goals through a recycling program and sustainably produced powders.”
Traditional development cycles for aerospace components can last over two decades. However, by taking advantage of the speed and flexibility of 3D printing technology, Agile is able to shorten the prototyping time to 12 months. “The annual development cycle in many industries still seems very long, but we are showing aviation industry leaders what the future looks like. Moving to the larger TruPrint 5000 machine gave us the opportunity to define new machine and material parameters at the same time,” adds Kyle Metsger.
Agile A2200 engines will be used in the lunar lander. The A2200 engine has been developed to provide maximum performance in demanding missions, with a specific impulse lasting over 318 seconds. Utilizing an integrated trunnion sleeve throttling mechanism, the engine can operate in deep throttling mode, ensuring smooth operation and precise control in a variety of missions. The engine can increase thrust from 50% to 100% in less than 650 milliseconds. This makes it an ideal engine for the highly demanding maneuvering sequences required by lunar missions.
Source: 6K Additive press kit