Open Additive metal AM supports US Air Force’s Landing Gear Test Facility

August 11, 2020

A sub-scale runway surface replica additively manufactured on a prototype Panda™ platform during Phase I (Open Additive, LLC)

Open Additive, LLC, headquartered in Beavercreek, Ohio, USA, has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II development effort to support the US Air Force’s Landing Gear Test Facility (LGTF) at Wright-Patterson Airforce Base, Ohio, USA.

Managed by the 704th Test Group, the LGTF uses advanced test methods to evaluate aircraft tyre wear resulting from tyre-runway interaction. Central to these tests is a 4.3 m internal drum dynamometer – a test machine developed and commissioned in 1998 to test tyre performance using a rotating surface. 

To accurately replicate real-world conditions, the LGTF recently launched its 3D Runway Surface Scanning and Surface Recreation Project, which uses 3D scanning of actual runways to develop digital models. 

A key challenge is said to be the ability to precisely fabricate runway test tiles which both match the 3D scans and can stand up to repeated testing. Open Additive stated that in the Phase I effort, its team demonstrated the ability of its Panda Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) machines to accurately reproduce durable runway surface features.

Under the recently-awarded $750,000 two-year Phase II contract (FA9101-20-C-0026), Advanced Runway Texture Imitations for Specialized Tiles Fabrication via Selective Laser Melting, Open Additive states that it will advance and leverage its large-format PBF-LB capabilities for this application. 

To be suitable for end-use in the dynamometer, the full-scale additively manufactured tiles must reportedly be 51 cm long and 13 cm wide, have precise surface features matching 3D scans, be additively manufactured or machined to a specified curvature, and be made from a lightweight alloy to minimise weight.

According to Open Additive, the project complements other company efforts to advance and apply large-format PBF-LB to defence and industry needs. The company’s 600 x 600 x 300 mm PBF-LB testbed is expected to serve as the primary platform for the production of sub-scale and full-scale parts. By the end of this effort, it is expected that the manufacturing process will have been proven viable to support the LGTF’s needs.

www.openadditive.com

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