3D Printed Titanium Replaces Aluminum for Unmanned Aircraft Wing Splice | The Cool Parts Show Ep.72

Aircraft makers applying 3D printing processes to manufacture plane components often begin with less critical parts first, then proceed to more vital parts as confidence builds. But with General Atomics’ introduction of directed energy deposition (DED) to part production, the company began with a part that could not be more critical to flight. DED via the Rapid Plasma Deposition process from Norsk Titanium will be used to 3D print the wing splice for an unmanned aerial system following requirements similar to those of the company’s existing SkyGuardian aircraft. That is, this process will make the part that affixes the wings to a remotely piloted plane. Producing the part this way makes it practical to apply titanium to a component previously machined from aluminum, allowing a more compact design. The Cool Parts Show visited Norsk Titanium in Plattsburgh, New York, where the General Atomics wing splice will be made.
This episode of The Cool Parts Show brought to you by Carpenter Additive. www.carpenteradditive.com/
FOR ALL ACCESS MEMBERS: In the episode, Steve Fournier of General Atomics mentions how AM potentially makes titanium more economical than aluminum. That sounds counterintuitive, because aluminum’s raw material cost is less. Fournier says total cost of manufacturing is what is important, and he lays out the argument in detail in an exclusive Extra just for subscribers. The Cool Parts Show All Access is a free subscription for fans of the show. Sign up and watch this month's exclusive Extra here: www.additivemanufacturing.med...
RELATED:
More applications of additive manufacturing at General Atomics
www.additivemanufacturing.med...
More on Norsk Titanium and the Rapid Plasma Deposition process
www.additivemanufacturing.med...
Other examples of AM enabling unattended vehicles, including the engine for an unmanned aircraft and the hull of an autonomous underwater vehicle
www.additivemanufacturing.med...
www.additivemanufacturing.med...
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00:00 3D Printed Titanium Wing Splice
00:49 Intro to Norsk Titianium
01:52 UAVs and Additive Manufacturing
02:31 Intro to General Atomics and Sky Guardian
04:40 Critical 3D Printed Parts
06:49 The Benefits of Using Titanium
08:36 What is Rapid Plasma Deposition?
10:40 Benefits of 3D Printing Titanium Aerospace Parts
13:46 Improving the Manufacturing Process
16:55 Next Steps Toward Production
18:47 3D Printed Wing Splice Summary
19:50 Cost Effectiveness of 3D Printed Titanium
20:28 Tailoring Powder Management for Qualification Requirements
#engineering #3dprinting #manufacturing #aerospace

[@AdditiveManufacturing]

CORRECTION: In the episode, we said the new wing splice is for the SkyGuardian aircraft. That is incorrect. It was designed to requirements similar to those of the SkyGuardian, but which platform it will be used on has not been determined.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

Shame there was no footage of chips flying on that additive part. If that same process can be used for Aluminium, the companies custom manufacturing race & street engines will be very interested - the materials and machining savings on an engine block or cylinder head would be massive, along with being able to print in better water galleries for coolant passage, making those engines lighters and more reliable. One-off parts, such as a replacement water pump for a historically signifigant vehicle, also drop in price. I believe the Rocket Labs "Rutherford" rocket engine is made in a similar way, as are few of the newer Small-Sat launch vehicles, along with at least one using this sort of method to print the main fuel tanks of their booster.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

How come the titanium didn't change color with the heat of the plasma? It must be cool to aid in preventing warping too :)

[@drfreak01]

Sure😉

[@lucthien601]

I like to see the stress test + vibration test + shock test.

[@catsupchutney]

Nobody wants be be a manufacturer, everyone wants to be an information company.

[@DennisMurphey]

A retired Engineer I have been 3D Printing for over 8 years to make parts for my 1950 Model Trains. I worked in Medical, Aerospace and Automation systems when working. I could see the possibilities to get the heat on these exotic materials was a problem. Then I saw concrete printing house frames. And FFP is making energy from Plasma Arcs on a small scale. Plasma ??? Now I see this and it is heart warming to see Plasma controlled to melt Titanium ina highly more efficient and effective process to use less material in waste and speed up production of critical parts. Very good work and I hope is able to be miniaturized for space station operations to fabricate spares as needed from rolls of wire. Point of use Production meets Plasma Deposition it a very good thing. Add some AI to the control logic for perfect print 100% of the time and get part Cad data for every viable part required, beam up new improved part shapes as needed, wow. D

[@chisaomusician7752]

I like to hear titanium being less expensive than aluminum

[@goransolheim8772]

Not to downplay how cool the printing is but the machining on that part is still very impressive those deep slots in particular

[@stuartgray5877]

From the couple of seconds, I saw of the deposition process I can partially reverse engineer it. They seem to be using a High Frequency Pulse Plasma welder (similar to the airco pulsearc). They are also using an electromagnetic arc manipulator used in shipbuilding to oscillate the arc back and forth. They obviously have some custom software controlling the welder and oscillator. I have often wondered how long it will be before we have CLOSED LOOP additive manufacturing that monitors the quality of the part while it is being made. If the process detects a defect in the weld puddle, it should be able to fix it in real-time.

[@DavidCzuba]

Thank you both for representing the industry. The trust you have built with factory suppliers and end users, esp. defense, gives all of us inspiration to see what's possible with AD.

[@sukrudemirci3139]

Thank you both for the information.

[@brasidas2011]

Saying that additive manufacturing eliminates waste is incorrect. Reducing waste is more accurate.

[@johnsmithe4656]

In subtractive manufacturing the 'waste' gets recycled, so is it really even waste? The wasteful part would be the belts and bits and blades I guess.

[@hippotek1]

truly amazing

[@markfrasier888]

OMG, That guy is just to "Flamboyant" for me to watch.......

[@johnsmithe4656]

Ok Mr Sensitve.

[@schneider90000]

What.

[@JosephCornishV]

So cool.

[@tedchristian2235]

FYI, "Sky Guardian" is a renamed Predator drone, and the "other types of equipment" it carries are explosives. To kill people with. If it was OK they wouldn't need to Orwell it.

[@arbjful]

I hate weapons of war

[@johnsmithe4656]

@@arbjful It's the reality of life. Look at human history. It's all war, with some breaks for fresh air now and then. It's okay to hate them but you better hope your country has the best.

[@tonysu8860]

Listened to the whole video without hearing what I wanted although possibly expected because if the most critical secrets were described then anyone might copy the process By this I mean that what was described was all matter of fact like creating a rough model of the finished product to minimize machining is common sense particularly when working with as rare, expensive and hard a metal as titanium. Although I'd expect scraps to be recycled, tiny particles approaching dust might be difficult to handle. But the really big and obvious issue is the strength of the final product using deposition because unlike forging or machining starting from an ingot the internal crystalline bonding structure is usually considered broken. So does this Norwegian company do the deposition in some special way? From the name of the process there is a suggestion that extremely high heat is applied like an arc welder but even that might not create the internal bonds to make 3D printing compete fully with forging.

[@spiritzweispirit1st638]

Really Excellent video and information! Thank You🛡️

[@davidg3944]

Very impressive part and tech. Must have a protective atmosphere for the wing splice deposition, the smaller part shown earlier had some oxidation not present on the big part.

[@spartancrown]

This looks like a fancy way to lay wire.

[@TheGreatGastronaut]

22 minutes repeating the same 3 PowerPoint bullet points. Let’s see the finished DED part against the aluminum original. The DED part shown is far from finished. Not much meat to the story, just hype. The post DED machining of the Ti part is possibly the most difficult aspect of the fabrication of this component, so how is it being accomplished and how much scrap is created?

[@markthompson4885]

I was waiting for the finished side by side view too.

[@hengemist9387]

Very impressive, things have sure moved on since Kelly Johnson's team built the SR71.

[@WilliamCollins-sh6lm]

As close to a Star Trek Duplicator as we have came yet !!!

[@WilliamCollins-sh6lm]

With all the different types of wire available nearly any composition an materials abilities can be made !!! With very little wasted material and very complicated and complex designs made possible !!! Add computer design with expected goals ... As of yet the impossible suddenly becomes possible !!!

[@canlib]

Nice ti cans

[@dalecostich8794]

peace could breakout at any moment...

[@alanmcmillan6969]

Where do you get your titanium, where is it mined? Is it a locality mined priduct?

[@radeksparowski7174]

cool, hope aluminum and energy problems will be solved soon and I can print myself a liveaboard katamaran fully electrical covered with solarpanels like a greenhouse, powering all the appliances and storing excess in batteries and maybe hydrogen for a more conventional backup

[@freelectron2029]

Boeing 787 you say..... some of the strictest standards you say....

[@PeirotheFirescare]

Damn some people have smart and interesting prozesses. I would Love to Work in Industries Like this but I feel Not experienced enough. But I am also to old to Just Switch industrys😅

[@dubyas1989]

The industry didn’t exist 10yrs ago, nobody has much experience. I actually work at Norsk after years of being a machinist.

[@PeirotheFirescare]

@@dubyas1989 Hi, first of all thank you for encouraging me. I should maybe explain my comment a little. I am a 3d artist and have worked in a company where one of my tasks was to prepare archaeological finds for 3d printing. So I'm not completely new but I don't have enough practical experience in industrial printing and I've never been a machine operator. I would like to change but I have some responsibilities and therefore I can't start anywhere as a trainee, which means I lack the knowledge and I am not in the financial situation to build it up in a company. I am studying a lot myself but I feel like before I realy worked in a workshop on the mashines I dont feel good aplaying.

[@DennisMurphey]

@@PeirotheFirescare hey I started 8 years with a tiny $150 3d printer and free CAD software. Learned everything on line. NOW I just completed a whole new Midel train tender for my 1950s American Flyer. Trucks, Chassis. Body and stuffed with new internet of things Learned on line too. Digital sound, fan driven Smoke, synchronized Puff & Chuff. Lots of fun stuff. It takes time and patience but NOT a big bag of money to explore. Do it! Dennis

[@REALITYFACTSFIRST]

So is the END PRODUCT PART - LIGHTER WEIGHT. How much lighter weight is the DED produced Titanium Part (at the same strength performance delivering part of the existing/previously used Fully forged Aluminium alloy - CNC Cut out part. 5% lighter weight 10% lighter weight 15% lighter weight 20% lighter weight 25% lighter weight 30% lighter weight 35% lighter weight 40% lighter weight 45% lighter weight 50% lighter weight 55% lighter weight 60% lighter weight 65% lighter weight 70% lighter weight 80% lighter weight 85% lighter weight 90% lighter weight 96% lighter weight 100% lighter weight > 100% lighter weight PLEASE ask the General Atomics company - to answer this question - and give answer as a reply to this comment AND update the video with the information - in the video OR in the description section OR in an additional comment by you placed at the top of the comments section OR with an updated - more information filled video at the ALL ACCESS spot on your website.

[@AdditiveManufacturing]

Weight change actually was not the outcome sought with this part. Volume change is more like it - titanium allows for the same strength in a part that is less bulky, and takes up less space in the complete assembly.

[@MD-jo9mh]

It's about the $$ "buy to fly ratios"...weight doesn't matter as much in UAVs.

[@JoeyBlogs007]

Hopefully the wing stays on.

[@user-bi7nq4nj7q]

this is like that article I just read about time being hypothesized as being purely quantum, and yet an illusion, but the article never goes into a semblance of depth into the subject. just stuff like they are trying to teach a 5 year old. if all they produce is stuff that doesnt challenge the public, they will always be stuck at "dumb"

[@AdrianDucao]

finally a spacecraft a little bit stronger than aluminum

[@waynemasters8673]

The Hindenburg used duraluminum.

[@AngeloXification]

You should see what we have under lock and key

[@funlovingJohn]

It would be far less money to just sand cast a slightly larger part than machine it to size.

[@johnsmithe4656]

Can Titanium be sand cast? I don't think so....

[@DanFrederiksen]

Isn't aermet100 as good or better than titanium by weight? but perhaps it's at least as hard to work with. Maybe some kind of magnetic field shaping could refine the process so it isn't so beady.

[@schneider90000]

Aermet100 is exponentially harder to work with and not great for primary airframe structure

[@DanFrederiksen]

@@schneider90000 why wouldn't it be great for structure?

[@schneider90000]

@@DanFrederiksen Sorry, I should have provided more detail. When I hear/read 'structure' relating to aerospace useage, I think of the airframe. AERMET is strong, yes, and has structural applications. However, it is difficult to machine and heat treat. It is often used in landing gear applications where damage tolerance is a requirement, however, for primary airframe structure - lower density materials such as aluminum, titanium, and graphite composite are often more attractive. I'm happy to induct new information if you know something I don't, though.

[@DanFrederiksen]

@@schneider90000 it is high density but it delivers with 2000MPa tensile strength and no brittleness. It's called aermet for a reason :) In a less crude 3D printing method it could have considerable potential. One thing I would like to see in planes is to not have thick wings at the base which requires a very strong spar. I imagine aermet would be half decent if it had to be metal. carbon fiber is not entirely useless either

[@peterjaniceforan3080]

⚡️🛩️👍

[@patrickday4206]

And it is much stronger and more reliable

[@Kosmonooit]

That part still needs to be (finish) machined, that was stated but perhaps not that clearly put. Obviously much less machining and far few chips that starting from a billet.

[@canlib]

It was stated very clearly.

[@WilliamCollins-sh6lm]

So when will a home do it yourself become available ??? Need a tool part or whatever print one ... An entire engine could be made with very little machining...

[@mrpicky1868]

any specialists here? is titanium not as problematic as in marine use? bcs of the catalyst effects destroying everything around? maybe some coating?

[@Astroponicist]

The properties that make Titanium desirable for use in highly demanding applications also make Ti very difficult to fabricate parts from. The Soviets wanted to make a Nuclear submarine because of these very properties "The practical problems with the design quickly became apparent and in 1963 the design team was replaced" (Wikipedia - Alfa-class submarine). The advancements described in this video offer new opportunities to revisit use of Ti in innovative ways.

[@allangibson8494]

Titanium is very resistant to chloride corrosion. Aluminium isn’t. Very useful for sea skimming vehicles.

[@ljubomirculibrk4097]

Depends on grade, mix of tipes of cristals. As in steel, more strength less corrosion resistance. But for most, titanium is one of the best choices. But dont forget electrochemical corrosion, contact whit other metals.

[@allangibson8494]

@@ljubomirculibrk4097 Actually the highest strength iron alloys are very corrosion resistant - it is carbon content that accelerates corrosion.

[@WilliamCollins-sh6lm]

So when are building sized printers an robots going to build entire systems ???

[@adamg3911]

Would have been more fun to watch if Stephanie was the star.

[@brandonrippeonphoto]

The Norsk guy reading from a screen in mono tone kind of ruined the video for me.

[@johnsmithe4656]

I skipped those parts.... end wasn't really worth it either though.

[@x1101126]

So, why not 3D print aluminum?

[@r.rousset]

I am thrilled and deeply grateful to witness that Yankee ingenuity remains vibrant in America. This enduring spirit fills me with hope for a bright future for our nation.

[@joechan3388]

If the USA can 3D print titanium parts, why didn’t Boeing buy titanium alloy parts from a US supplier for the Starliner? Instead, Boeing approved replacing the titanium alloy parts with aluminum alloy parts manufactured in India for the Starliner, which caused the Starliner to become stranded in space. This situation may endanger the lives of all the astronauts aboard the ISS.

[@arbjful]

The source for your claims?

[@johnsmithe4656]

All these "commercial space companies" are garbage. Give American control of Space back to NASA exclusively, fund them like we mean it. Artemis is a disaster too, and SpaceX is run by a con man.

[@philipparana9225]

Couldn't you just weld titanium to make that rough shape more or less and then mill it

[@letsbuildit6954]

You want to minimize welding in airframe components because you cannot guarantee that the weld is as strong as a solid block and causes inconsistent material properties that can lead to fracture caused by metal fatigue. Welding also may cause warpage of the part. In this case you minimize labor, need no fixturing and it is made in 1 step. You are adding multiple steps if you say welded plates together. You have to cut the plates (very expensive in titanium), fixture them, weld them, test the welds for consistency and penetration dye, then fixture in a machine and mill it (extremely expensive). This is as simple as pressing go on the machine and then voila there is your part.

[@dubyas1989]

@@letsbuildit6954the parts Norsk makes do still need finish machining, but yeah other than that, spot on.

[@norduferhandel4512]

Alot of buzzwords flying around.

[@dsan2910]

All drones are the size of small planes

[@TheOneAndOnlySatan]

Its now 14 times as expensive

[@valerigeorgiev5615]

Titanium from Rusia?!

[@ljubomirculibrk4097]

Not eney more and it seems that new suplier has made a co.kup. Big aircraft manufacturers haw sounded the alarm that titanium parts are not the grade they shoud be. Hm, they didnt hear of metal testing before use as it seems...

[@DennisMurphey]

@@ljubomirculibrk4097 serious issue. BOEING?

[@LeftyLooseyGarage]

0% of our titanium comes from Russia.

[@johnsmithe4656]

Wow, really? Let Russia keep their Titanium, they're going to need all they can get.

[@graemesutton2067]

America is always one step ahead in production(innovation development etc. Well done to them . keep going ,don’t stop bettering

[@hackneo64]

Sounds like it is more expensive than just using aluminum. I got an offer at an aerospace 3d printing company in Knoxville, TN and they only offered me $12 an hour and I have a degree and experience!!!Absolutely ridiculous and insulting! These companies cheap out on paying employees cause everything else cost so much money.

[@TheKakan1337]

How to be an idiot without saying you are one: Example 1

[@LeftyLooseyGarage]

Norsk takes great care of us.

[@Darkralos]

They say the opposite. If you make the part from aluminum you start from a block with the overall dimensions and you have to remove 90% machining. So you are paying a lot for the raw material and a lot for the machining (time, tooling...). For big titanium parts, it is difficult to make the above in a cost effective manner. But if you start with a preform, the case is completely different. In this same channel, there's an example at NASA of big parts being made in titanium thanks to additive manufacturing. Why would they change the part and the processes if it is not to save in costs? Look for a company where they value you more, good luck!

[@glass1258]

12$ an hour is hilarious… the girl that pours my coffee at dunks down the street from me gets 18$ not including tips 😀

[@patrickday4206]

I'm a carpenter making 42 dollars 😂

[@thecatsupdog]

Talk about the part more. Point at it and explain.

[@davidanalyst671]

Can somebody tell this guy to stop moving his hands and gesturing like this is a kindergarten class? The woman does fine. These are part manufacturing, not teaching how to participate in class

[@KarlLew]

(perhaps he is Italian and you just insulted him for being himself?)

[@arbjful]

I have noticed it’s usually the guy who does the hand waving, while the female stays quiet

[@a-fl-man640]

"save money on these aircrafts?" i always thought aircraft was the plural of aircraft. not "aircrafts"

[@Telephonebill51]

Better script, less frantic hand waving.

[@astronautwithasecret]

I honestly don't understand this drones are supposed to be cheaper to make Aunt buy so why would you make the wings out of a more expensive material like titanium when you we're using a cheaper material aluminum that doesn't really make sense to me

[@johnsmithe4656]

They claim the cost is the same or lower.... I find it hard to believe. Aluminum is dirt cheap and easy to work with.

[@nitsujnaej]

Just another MIC ad.

[@JeremyDWilliamsOfficial]

With respect, if you are aiming this at a technical audience, maybe present less blah-blah and more specific information at a higher level? In the first two minutes you mentioned the plant was in NY twice. I hope your next video is tighter and more informative :)

[@havasss]

Dimensionally inaccurate parts and needs to have non-additive traditional manufacturing process. You have to use two methods at the same time.

[@pedrohpires6608]

Good idea but the most of the titanium dont come from russia , oh boy i know who come to 🕌🕌🕌⌛copy the tech....

[@Philostophie]

Boring, didn't show anything.

[@flikflak24]

Benefits of titanium: almost as strong as steel. As light weight as aluminum. Extremely abrasive resistant Cons of titanium: Extremely bad at holding a sharp edge ( so very/Extremely bad for any kind of cutting tools )

[@lordhexon]

Why is this dude so animated ?

[@satchelsieniewicz5824]

wow evil company

[@samsabruskongen]

Ok, I'll bite. Why is it evil?

[@user-bi7nq4nj7q]

yes lets play the same stupid clips over and over. lost interest when all I was listening to was slow-talk about blah blah blah. I begin scanning ahead and all I see if the same crap : clip - someone going blahh blah blah - same clips - blah blah blah who cares? youtube is flooded with bloated crap. this just added itself to the list. I'll wait for someone else to provide pertinent information at less of a cost to my time.

[@tobyihli9470]

Very dull video. It should have been cut away periodically to show the grinding and cutting process. I dunno, maybe the processes are too, “proprietary” to show. If so, they should have realized they shouldn’t try to make a 22 minute video without it. It was so boring. Shoot myself in the face!

[@kraagaard]

This was the least impressive part made by Norsk Titanium! Norsk Titanium is the only additive manufacturing company in the world with FAA approval for making critical components such as blades for turbofan engines etc. This video missed the point an lent the ear mostly to a mediocre drone producer insted of focusing on the real story here! Sorry, but thumbs down!

[@bussi7859]

Aluminuminum and tititanninum

[@svpetarSR]

This is of course stupid! Unmanned aircraft are not intended to do acrobatics.

[@dubyas1989]

The parts aren’t strictly for drones.

[@FiglioBastardo]

A Meltio M600 machine would've been made it better imhso.

[@78bookem]

Interesting comment. Why do you think this might be the case? How long would it of taken to lay that part down on a Meltio? The wire diameter is nearly three times smaller. Remember this is a production piece. Is it possible for Meltio to lay down such a large piece efficiently?

[@FiglioBastardo]

@@78bookem I'm not sure as to how long it would've taken the Meltio M600 to lay down the same piece, but given they ability for the head to be put on a robot arm, I think it would've been able to accomplish the same task with off the shelf wire in an efficient manner. The Meltio can accomplish production pieces all the same.

[@dubyas1989]

As someone who literally works at Norsk making these parts, NO. It’s missing quite a few features that make depositing titanium possible for aerospace applications.

[@FiglioBastardo]

@@dubyas1989 ok like I had previously said, imhso. It's just blind love for the Meltio. Have a scintillating day! 😆