Manufacture of large-scale space exploration components using wire + arc additive manufacturing

Abstract

Cranfield University, Thales Alenia Space and WAAM3D together, combining their expertise knowledge and technologies on Wire + arc additive manufacture (WAAM), created a route for manufacturing large-scale space exploration Components using WAAM which could be used in future large scale-space exploration component manufacturing. In this project, several different sections of the development of WAAM technology are applied to manufacture a large-scale space exploration component including FEA simulation, inter-layer machining and cold work, intelligent toolpath planning and sustainability calculations. WAAM proved to be a very promising technique in future large-scale component manufacturing.