September AMP_Digital

6 FEEDBACK The Advanced Materials Process- ing Laboratory (AMPL) at the Universi- ty of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) led by Professor Judy Schneider, FASM, continues to spearhead advanced ma- terials research in metal additive man- ufacturing (AM) for NASA, the Defense Department, and industry. While most university groups involved in AM tend to purchase one type of machine and in- vestigate a particular process, Schnei- der’s group collaborates with several industrial partners developing AM pro- cesses with custom machines. This al- lows the AMPL to work with a variety of processes and materials. With the in- dustry connections, the lab at UAH is provided samples from across the AM community to evaluate the effects AM processes have on the microstructure and mechanical properties of different metallic alloys. One company UAH partners with is Keystone Synergistic Enterprises Inc. of Port St. Lucie, Fla. Keystone developed a process called direct energy deposi- tion (DED) by employing a robotic arm to deposit metal wire feedstock lay- er-by-layer until a complete component is built. More recently, AMPL, Keystone, and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Cen- TITANIUM HOLDS UNTOLD PROMISE Bravo to Sam Froes for his fine articles on “Titanium: A Historic and Current Perspective” [February/March and April issues]. I have followed the industry for 60 years and could not find a single nit to pick. I would have mentioned the Army’s howitzer frame RESEARCH TRACKS We welcome all comments and feedback. Send letters to frances.richards@asminternational.org. ter (MSFC) are working together with a new AM process called laser wire direct closeout (LWDC) that was codeveloped with Keystone and patented by NASA. The new process is designed to reduce the cost and time associated with man- ufacturing advanced liquid rocket en- gine nozzles. Modern rocket nozzles are expen- sive and complex to manufacture due to tight tolerances and complex design geometries. Nozzles are designed with active coolant channels that extend nozzle length to keep the walls from melting during operation. The LWDC process enables manufacture of liq- uid rocket nozzles with active cooling in less time and more cost effectively than traditional methods such as braz- ing. Advancement of the new process was completed under a NASA Small Business Technology Transfer award to Keystone and UAH. Using the wire-fed DED process and the new LWDC process conducted with AMPL materials char- acterization, Keystone manufactured a rocket nozzle for NASA. After proof test- ing, the componentwas successfully hot fire tested for over 800 seconds at the MSFC facility. ACADEMIA-INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP BLASTS OFF Through the AM nozzle project and others, AMPL and Keystone have worked together for over 10 years. With- in this partnership, Keystone fabricates AM parts and samples under various build and heat treatment parameters while the UAH lab conducts metallur- gical evaluations. The relationship de- veloped between these two entities illustrates the benefits of such indus- try-university collaborations. The part- nership not only provides funding for general research, but also exposes stu- dents to a variety of cutting-edge AM processes and applications by technol- ogy leaders such as Keystone and NASA. For more information, visit uah.edu . and their hand grenade launcher tube, but it’s not my paper. It is a bit ironic that he mentioned the Navy’s use top- side because they have been so slow in using titanium. Two examples: The USS Thresher crushed at less than 1000 ft while the Russians were building fleets of titanium subs. Also, the USS Cole had a 40-by-60-ft hole blasted in its side by a little outboard boat. I would guess a ti- tanium hull might not have failed. Fifty years ago at Reactive Metals, we were asked to write a short essay on where we expected the titanium indus- try to go. I said then and still believe we are much too dependent on the aero- space industry. At Reactive, we built two tanks for chemical tanker trucks to replace the rubber-lined stainless tanks. We could haul in two trips as much as the stainless tanks could in three trips. With automated welding, they would be much easier to build today. Commercial uses at commer- cial prices must be developed for the industry to move forward. We waste untold billions of dollars each year on rust and rust prevention. Titanium does not rust. Chuck Dohogne Hot fire testing of 3D-printed rocket nozzle at NASA. A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8