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AM components feature in new Ariane 6 Vinci thrust chambers The latest generation of the Ariane space rocket launcher, scheduled to enter service in 2020, will reportedly offer an increased payload carrying capacity and the flexibility to perform a wide range of missions with high reliability. Production has now begun on the rocket’s Vinci engine at ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) in Ottobrunn, Germany. The Vinci engine, which is incorporated in the upper stage of Ariane 6, will take over thrust capacity once the rocket has escaped Earth’s gravitational field using its main stage and solid fuel boosters. The engine has been designed to be both energy-efficient and reignitable, crucial for ensuring optimal propulsion in space. Both Powder Metallurgy and Additive Manufacturing techniques are used to manufacture components
in the Vinci engine, which the engine’s designers report improve cost and time efficiency. “These two methods have substantial advantages compared to cast or forged products, as components involving complex structures can be produced in large numbers, without the need for mechanical reworking,” stated Denis Regenbrecht, who is responsible for the Ariane programme at the DLR Space Administration, Germany. “The elimination of expensive manufacturing stages and simplification of the engine structure have cut the costs significantly.” Cost-efficiency measures such as these are said to be imperative to the production of all space equipment, which must be economically viable as competition to provide spacefaring technologies increases and
Vinci thrust chambers for the new Ariane 6 (Courtesy DLR) economic support is withdrawn. “European launcher systems face growing levels of competition in global markets,” continued Regenbrecht, “which will intensify the price pressure in future. Ariane 6 is a response to this situation, as its launch costs will be approximately half of what they were with its European predecessor, Ariane 5.” www.arianespace.com www.dlr.de
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elcanindustries.com Metal Additive Manufacturing | Autumn 2017
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