Sintavia expands rocket manufacturing capability with two M4K-4 AM machines from AMCM

January 13, 2021

Sintavia’s new M4K-4 metal AM machines from AMCM will process high-performance copper and nickel alloys (Courtesy AMCM/Sintavia)

Sintavia LLC, Hollywood, Florida, USA, has acquired two new M4K-4 metal Additive Manufacturing machines from AMCM GmbH, an EOS Group company based in Starnberg, Germany. As one of the leading AM rocket parts producers in North America, Sintavia will use the new machines to expand its portfolio of rocket thrust chamber design and manufacturing for the rapidly growing commercial space industry.

The M4K-4 is described as a stretched version of the EOS M400-4 machine, a Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (LB-PBF) machine offering more powerful lasers and an upgraded cooling system. Its four 1 kW lasers can build single-unit components with dimensions of 450 mm x 450 mm x 1 m.

“Since the acquisition of our first M400-4 three years ago, Sintavia has devoted tremendous resources to developing successful and repeatable operating procedures for the quad laser printing of extremely thin walls, such as those found in the thrust chamber of a rocket,” stated Brian Neff, Sintavia’s Chief Executive Officer.

“We now have eight M400-4 quad laser printers, and we expect that the successful strategies employed on the M400-4 will likewise work on these new M4K-4 units. We are pleased that we will be the first rocket printer in North America to offer the expanded footprint of the M4K-4 to our commercial space customers,” added Neff.

The design of the M4K-4 is said to have been driven largely by demand from commercial space launch customers looking to optimise thrust chamber assemblies with fewer traditional joining steps. For most existing commercial rocketry currently in production today, the M4K-4 is able to manufacture the entire thrust chamber assembly as a single unit, including optimised regenerative cooling passages, thereby dramatically reducing manufacturing complexity and time.

The two new machines are scheduled for delivery in June and July this year and will be set up to use high-performance copper and nickel alloys.

www.sintavia.com

www.amcm.com


Read more about AMCM and the development of rocket components in the latest issue of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine:


In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

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

  • Metal powders in Additive Manufacturing: An exploration of sustainable production, usage and recycling
  • Inside Wayland Additive: How innovation in electron beam PBF is opening new markets for AM
  • An end-to-end production case study: Leveraging data-driven machine learning and autonomous process control in AM
  • Consolidation, competition, and the cost of certification: Insight from New York’s AM Strategies 2024
  • Scandium’s impact on the Additive Manufacturing of aluminium alloys
  • AM for medical implants: An analysis of the impact of powder reuse in Powder Bed Fusion

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

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

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
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap