Boeing and Titomic to investigate sustainable titanium for AM space parts
January 5, 2022
Boeing reports that it has signed an agreement to collaborate with Additive Manufacturing company, Titomic Ltd, Melbourne, Australia, in order to investigate the application of sustainable titanium for additively manufactured space components.
Titomic was recently awarded a $2.3 million Australian government Modern Manufacturing Initiative grant to explore and commercialise the production of space vehicle and satellite parts using the local titanium mineral resource.
The use of green titanium for AM is a potential game changer. It is readily available in Australia, considered more environmentally sustainable than other alternatives and enables significant time & cost efficiencies by eliminating the need for extensive raw mineral processing.
“Under the agreement, Boeing will provide the designs and engineering expertise to enable Titomic to demonstrate its cutting-edge kinetic fusion Additive Manufacturing technology on the production of space parts, initially for JP9102 [an Australian defence satellite communication system project],” stated Paul Watson, Director, Aerospace Engineering and Production, Boeing Defence Australia.
“Demonstrating that Additive Manufacturing technology – or large-scale 3D printing – using green titanium produces highly resilient, lightweight components will have broad-ranging application across the space sector,” he added.
Boeing has recently announced collaborative agreements with RMIT, Saber Astronautics, Leidos, ViaSat, the Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium (IDIC) and Clearbox as part of its commitment to investing in sovereign space capability. These relationships support Boeing’s Statement of Strategic Intent and Cooperation with the Australian Space Agency to enhance the capability and competitiveness of Australian industry, and promote investment in space capabilities and high-tech jobs of the future for Australians.
Herbert Koeck, Titomic CEO, commented, “The collaboration with Boeing has the potential to position Titomic as a leading-edge supplier within the space manufacturing industry. Together, we can redefine the production process for space vehicles and parts to accelerate Australia’s standing in the global space domain.”
