High Resolution Metal Additive Microwire Deposition for Aerospace Sustainment and Fleet Readiness at Scale

Metal 3D printed parts are a critical need for the continued sustainment of aging aircraft systems both for the military and private aerospace sectors. The metals additive manufacturing space is replete with commercial solutions for metal parts, however a large technology gap exists for metal AM methods that produce net shape parts at high speeds, operate with low total cost of ownership, are deployable, and scalable. Essentium has a proven track record of disrupting the polymer additive manufacturing space with both machine and material innovations that unlock speed, strength and scale for industrial applications. Our team will replicate the material extrusion additive manufacturing ecosystem we have created with the HSE for metals by integrating a high speed microwire laser directed energy deposition (DED) head onto our closed-loop linear servo motor motion platform. We will demonstrate the value of net shape and near-net shape parts that are useful directly off the print bed with either zero or minimal post-processing required to provide value to Air Force customers. Additionally, we will show the advantage of a microwire DED printer for basic repair operations in a scan-to-print workflow. To minimize development risks and timeline for integration, Essentium has established partnerships with premier research institutions and commercial vendors who can manufacture the wire laser deposition head, laser source, and microwire feedstock to our specifications. Our team will aggregate the various system components into a minimum viable product and demonstrate the value of microwire DED parts to key stakeholders within the USAF.