Agile Casting & Technology Innovations for Value Engines (ACTIVE)

Design, development, and production of cast components for current and future small, non-man-rated engines demands flexibility—to address ever-changing mission requirements—coupled with a robust production infrastructure to accommodate anticipated high volumes.  Moreover, design-to-cost is fundamental to both short- and longer-term success. Existing and emerging technologies must be applied to ensure that the proper balance of design innovation, responsiveness to change, and ability to employ existing foundry capacity for large-scale production are brought together using a cohesive and deliberate methodology.  The Agile Casting Technology & Innovation for Value Engines (ACTIVE) program, led by Renaissance Services,  achieves such balance.    As the requirement for inexpensive unmanned systems and munitions grows, the means to deliver them becomes increasingly important.   Emphasis on cost  starts with the least expensive alloy available that will meet the engine performance requirements. Renaissance and the engine OEMs will work collaboratively to determine a low-cost material that can be cast in a non-vacuum (i.e., air-melt/pour) environment. This will significantly expand the number of foundries with the capability to produce the casting, offering an industrial base that can support large scale production for high volume non-man-rated engines.  These castings will be produced using ready-to-pour 3D-printed ceramic molds derived from the concurrent engineering design.  As geometries and designs change, the Renaissance engineers will adjust the 3D-printing requirements for the molds, rapidly accommodating these changes without the typical lead time associated with modification of hard tooling. Part verification and acceptance will be based on the minimum level of inspection required to establish an acceptable part to meet the mission requirements.  By working with the engine OEMs, Renaissance and the foundries can determine process and inspection methods that will further reduce cost, while delivering an acceptable part.