Ariane Vulcain 2.1 engine completes first successful test firing with AM components

News
January 25, 2018

January 25, 2018

Ariane’s Vulcain 2.1 engine completes first successful test firing with 3D printed components

The Vulcain 2.1 engine incorporates a metal additively manufactured gas generator and is designed to power the main stage of the Ariane 6 launcher (Courtesy ArianeGroup)

 

ArianeGroup, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, reports that its Vulcain® 2.1 engine has completed its first successful test firing at the German Aerospace Center in Lampoldshausen, Germany. The engine incorporates a metal additively manufactured gas generator and is designed to power the main stage of the Ariane 6 launcher.

The Vulcain 2.1 engine has been adapted from the Ariane 5 Vulcain 2 to simplify production and lower costs. To achieve this aim, the decision was made to incorporate metal Additive Manufacturing into the redesigned engine. The first AM gas generator was delivered to Airbus Safran Launchers by GKN Aerospace in June 2017, at which time the company reported that it had achieved a 90% reduction in the number of component parts in the generator, from approximately 1000 parts to 100 parts.

This first successful firing is one of a number of tests which will be carried out at Lampoldshausen to test the new engine throughout its flight envelope. These tests will observe the engine’s  thrust, mixing ratio and propellant supply conditions to ensure the safe launching of payloads into space.

Qualification is also ongoing for the Ariane 6’s upper stage Vinci® engine, with more than 130 test firings performed to-date at Lampoldshausen and in Vernon, France. Both Additive Manufacturing and Powder Metallurgy are used to manufacture components in the Vinci engine, which the engine’s designers report improve cost and time efficiency.

The Ariane 6 is scheduled to enter service in 2020. ArianeGroup acts as design authority and industrial lead contractor for the development and operation of the Ariane 6 launcher on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), and reportedly coordinates an industrial network of more than 600 companies in thirteen European countries.

www.ariane.group

www.gkn.com

 

News
January 25, 2018

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap