Germany-based
MT Aerospace, a major supplier to the space and aeronautics industry, is investing in a second Modulo 400 additive manufcturing (AM) machine supplied by the
AddUp group.
These two directed energy deposition (DED) machines will enable MT Aerospace to increase the number of projects it can undertake and help the company to move towards using this technology for series production.
Based in Augsburg, MT Aerospace is the European leader in the field of fluid storage for the aerospace industry. A subsidiary of the OHB Group, the company designs and manufactures fuel tanks for satellites and space launchers, including those for the Ariane 5 programme. It is also the main supplier of drinking water and wastewater storage systems for Airbus aircraft. A specialist in metal and composite processing, MT Aerospace has expertise in metal 3-D printing thanks to its first Modulo 400 machine supplied by AddUp in 2020.
AddUp is a global metal AM specialist that offers a range of powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) machines. The company has worked closely with MT Aerospace for the last two years to qualify applications using the DED process. The Modulo 400 machine, which sprays metal powders through a high-powered laser beam, has proven its ability to create parts with fine surface finishes and high mechanical characteristics. MT Aerospace has already tested it on a wide variety of materials, even reactive materials including titanium, thanks to the high level of safety the Modulo machine offers.
In just two years, MT Aerospace is preparing to build a complete industrial platform around DED technology, with design skills and production, post-processing, and part inspection capabilities. All these activities will eventually be compatible with the requirements of the EN 9100 aerospace standard.
The second Modulo 400 will enable the aerospace manufacturer to double its production capacity and to work simultaneously on different projects such as, the qualification phases for satellites fuel tanks in collaboration with the
European Space Agency, and the development of new applications for satellites and micro-launchers. Moreover, the second machine will provide an opportunity to expand the company’s services into other sectors such as automotive and energy.