Blue Origin partners with Auburn University NCAME to enhance copper Additive Manufacturing for space applications
March 26, 2025
Blue Origin, headquartered in Kent, Washington, USA, has partnered with Auburn University’s National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) in Alabama, USA, to address challenges surrounding the use of copper in Additive Manufacturing.
“Blue Origin recently donated two EOS M290s to NCAME to assist in improving the utility of copper in Additive Manufacturing,” NCAME director Nima Shamsaei, the Philpott-WestPoint Stevens Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering, shared. “Copper’s high reflectivity presents challenges for traditional laser-based 3D printing systems to effectively melt and fuse the powder, as much of the laser energy is reflected.”
“We already had two EOS M290s,” Shamsaei continued, “but these new additions will allow us to expedite the sort of applied research that can support Blue Origin’s needs for this alloy.”
NCAME research scientist Jonathan Pegues, added, “Copper also has high thermal conductivity, which makes melting even more inefficient. Once it finally melts, absorptivity increases and leads to inconsistent melt pool behaviour and potential defects in the printed part. Specialised laser systems that couple better with copper are often needed to overcome these challenges, but certain alloys like GRCop-42 have proven to be printable with standard IRF lasers, like those integrated in the EOS M290.”
In January, Blue Origin successfully launched its first orbital launch vehicle, New Glenn, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex. It recently announced that the upcoming eleventh human flight of New Shepard, its reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight, will feature an all-female crew that includes former NASA scientists and singer Katy Perry.
“Blue Origin is obviously one of the main companies on the frontlines of exploring the final frontier,” Shamsaei said. “It’s an exciting partnership.”
