Novel Feedstock Production System for Metallic Additive Manufactured Structural Parts and Repairs

In Phase II SBIR MolyWorks will build a novel low-cost, high-yield metallic-powder production system capable of rapidly producing small batches (i.e., tens of grams to hundreds of kilograms) of feedstock for Additive Manufactured (AM) structural parts, and repairs. During Phase II the Naval Atomization Mobile Unit (NAMU)  will progress from TRL 4 to a goal of TRL 6.   The NAMU system operates within a 128 cubic foot footprint and is capable of deployment in a modified joint intermodal container.  The NAMU produces powder particles for Laser Beam Melted (LBM)/Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process; for Electron Beaming Melting (EBM)/PBF; and for Directed Energy Deposition (DED)/Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS).  The NAMU is user-friendly with sufficient control of particle size distribution, sphericity, internal porosity, surface roughness, oxygen level, and the amount of satellite particles. The NAMU is capable of producing traditional metallic powders (e.g., Ti64, 17-4PH SS, IN718, AlSi10Mg), and specialty designed alloys (e.g., Mo-W and Niobium based alloys for hypersonic applications). Integrated Computational Material Engineering (ICME)-based modeling & simulation (M & S) ultrasonic atomization are used to support design and operation of the NAMU system.