Engineers at the University of Arizona have been awarded $3.1 million in funding by the US Army to develop 3D printed parts capable of flying at speeds of Mach-5 or more.
Through their research, the team aim to explore the potential of exotic alloys for 3D printing Mach-X parts – those that can withstand flight at up to five times the speed of sound.
“This important research partnership draws on the university’s deep experience and strategic investments in hypersonics and is tied to an area of strategic importance for the university,” explained the university’s senior VP for research and innovation, Tomás Díaz de la Rubia.
Over the two-year project, the researchers will qualify advanced materials for 3D printing and identify any trade-offs between performance and price around metals and machinery. Already, it’s anticipated that the technology will make hypersonic part development much cheaper than it currently is, while allowing for the manufacture of more non-standard geometries.
Apparently, alloys will be joined via 3D printing using ‘compositional grading’ – so when one degrades, another peers through from the layer underneath. It’s said that resulting parts will be capable of withstanding extreme stress and rapidly dissipating accumulated heat.
Given the sensitivity of the project, the nature of the alloys being tested can’t be disclosed, but they’re understood to be unique powders made using an advanced atomizer. These materials will be analyzed at the university’s applied research building, using both metal 3D printers, and other lab equipment that tests durability and strength at temperatures of up to 2,000oF.
Ultimately, the initiative is expected to deliver ‘national advantages’ to the US military, in that the hypersonic manufacturing supply chain doesn’t yet exist. Learnings from the project should help the country establish one – a move that’s seen as critical to success in the accelerating hypersonic arms race between the US, China, and Russia.
Scary times for global security often mean additional funding for advanced military R&D. So expect 3D printing to be at the center of stories like this for some time to come!
