Oerlikon to additively manufacture heat exchangers for Ariane 6 rocket launcher

ApplicationsNews
June 20, 2023

June 20, 2023

Oerlikon AM will additively manufacture heat exchangers for the new Ariane 6 rocket launcher seen here under construction at the new Ariane 6 Launcher Assembly Building at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana (Courtesy ESA-CNES-ArianeGroup-Arianespace / CSG Service Optique)
Oerlikon AM will additively manufacture heat exchangers for the new Ariane 6 rocket launcher seen here under construction at the new Ariane 6 Launcher Assembly Building at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana (Courtesy ESA-CNES-ArianeGroup-Arianespace / CSG Service Optique)

ArianeGroup, headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, and Oerlikon AM, Pfäffikon, Switzerland, have signed an order worth up to €900,000 for the production of additively manufactured heat exchanger sets for the new Ariane 6 rocket launcher. The aluminium parts, to be produced by Oerlikon AM, will act as heat management devices for onboard equipment, enhancing the performance and flexibility of the new launcher.

The Ariane 6 launcher is seen as a crucial component for European space access, enabling the launch of satellites and high-tech payloads into orbit multiple times per year. It is expected to play a key role in Europe’s space activities, including scientific exploration, Earth observation, telecommunications, and national security. Designed for optimised flexibility and efficiency, the Ariane 6 is intended to provide a reliable and cost-effective means of launching a wide variety of payloads into space, including satellites.

THE WORLD OF METAL AM TO YOUR INBOX
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Sign up

Oerlikon AM has reportedly worked very closely with the Ariane 6 technical team to ensure the heat management solution meets the most stringent technical specifications. During the development process, the team utilised key advantages of metal Additive Manufacturing, such as increased geometric freedom of design, minimal weight, and rapid lead times to ensure that the heat exchangers’ new, compact design fits perfectly into the limited installation space.

After its initial launch, Ariane 6 will reportedly take off several times per year into various orbits, including low Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit and sun-synchronous orbit. Thus, the heat exchanger sets were explicitly designed for serial production. Oerlikon AM is set to support ArianeGroup to meet their production requirements over the coming years, based on the forecasted demand for the rocket.

“Delivering components for Ariane 6 is an important milestone as we consolidate and expand our position as a reliable and innovative partner for serial parts in the space industry. Driving the industrialisation of class 2 and 3 space components is the prerequisite of our success. These products are already part of our product portfolio, taking us an important step further on our way to supplying the industry with flight-critical class 1 parts in very short term,” stated Hendrik Alfter, Managing Director of Oerlikon AM. “We are confident in our level of expertise and maturity, and further announcements on flight critical parts for launcher applications will follow soon: We have been working in close collaboration with our customers on these applications for a long time now.”

www.ariane.group

www.oerlikon.com

Download Metal AM magazine
ApplicationsNews
June 20, 2023

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.

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

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

  • Fly-by-wire: How Additive Manufacturing took to the skies with Norsk Titanium
  • Dynamic beam shaping: Unlocking productivity for cost-effective Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion
  • Enabling the fusion energy revolution: Mastering tungsten with PBF-EB Additive Manufacturing
  • Patents and Additive Manufacturing: What insights can mining PBF-EB data reveal about the industry and the technology?
  • Additive Manufacturing for Semiconductor Capital Equipment: Unlocking critical supply chains
  • Can Additive Manufacturing lower the carbon footprint of parts for the energy and maritime industries?
  • Inspect Additive Manufacturing, stop monitoring: Phase3D’s unit-based, in-process inspection solution for powder bed AM

The world of metal AM to your inbox

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

Sign up

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
View online

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