💡In the latest "Since You Asked," we break down our Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) philosophy and how it drives engine manufacturing, allowing us to go from design to test in just 3 months.
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🧵 2/8 DFAM stands for Design for Additive Manufacturing. It's a process where our design analysis and manufacturing engineers collaborate to create parts optimized for 3D printing.
🧵 3/8 Traditional aerospace manufacturing relies on subtractive methods, carving away material from a large block until the final part is produced. Think of it like carving a spoon out of wood.
🧵 4/8 With 3D printing, we're building the part by adding material only where it's needed. Hence, additive manufacturing.
🧵 5/8 This approach aligns our goals of minimizing part mass and print time. Lighter parts are faster and cheaper to print!
🧵 6/8 DFAM also eliminates the need for tool access, allowing us to combine multiple parts with different functions into single printed components. Fewer bolted connections mean less assembly and potential leak points.
🧵 7/8 Our 3D printers are among the largest in the world, needed for our very large parts. Two of our biggest printed engine parts are the gas generation chamber and the main combustion chamber.
🧵 8/8 These components endure high pressures and are designed with only two main parts and a single bolted connection, replacing multiple components and reducing leak-prone connections found in traditional engines.
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