OHB Initiatives in Development of Additive Manufacturing Technology for Opto-mechanical and Mechatronic Space Systems

Paper number

IAC-18,C2,9,5,x44583

Author

Mr. Markus Thiel, Germany, OHB System AG - Oberpfaffenhofen

Coauthor

Mr. Samuel Senese, Germany, OHB System AG - Oberpfaffenhofen

Coauthor

Mr. Thomas Sedlmaier, Germany, OHB System AG - Oberpfaffenhofen

Coauthor

Mr. Daniel Redlich, Germany, OHB System AG

Coauthor

Mr. Marco Mulser, Germany, OHB System AG-Bremen

Coauthor

Mr. Egbert Jan van der Veen, Germany, OHB System

Coauthor

Dr. Laurent Pambaguian, The Netherlands, European Space Agency (ESA)

Coauthor

Mr. Goncalo Rodrigues, The Netherlands, European Space Agency (ESA)

Coauthor

Mr. Paolo Zaltron, The Netherlands, ESA - European Space Agency

Coauthor

Dr. Sanneke Brinkers, The Netherlands, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)

Coauthor

Mr. Claus Aumund-Kopp, Germany, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM

Coauthor

Mr. Sebastian Klein, Germany, IABG Industrieanlagen - Betriebsgesellschaft mbH

Coauthor

Mr. Tim Domagala, Germany, Materialise GmbH

Coauthor

Mr. Sander Kwast, The Netherlands, Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)

Coauthor

Mr. Anthony Mc Loughlin, Germany, Altair Engineering GmbH

Coauthor

Mr. Matthias Eick, Germany, Altair Engineering GmbH

Coauthor

Mr. Christian Melzer, Germany, RUAG Space GmbH

Coauthor

Prof. Frank Brückner, Germany, Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS)

Coauthor

Mr. Joao Ricardo, Portugal, Active Space Technologies S.A.

Coauthor

Mr. Bruno Barroqueiro, Portugal, University of Aveiro

Year

2018

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing technology has shown impressive new opportunities and convincing results over the last years, mainly in terrestrial applications. Today, it has proven to represent a completely new approach to shape complex mechanical parts, with enormous potential for optimization of dedicated parameters. Numerous possibilities arise for the aerospace industry, among others, and let engineers dream of mechanical parts which only a few years ago rather seemed like science fiction.

OHB System has been involved in the development of Additive Manufacturing for more than five years via several ESA studies, DLR-funded projects and by significant internal R&D activities. These projects and studies have convinced us of the potential of AM for future satellite platforms, instruments and payloads. 

A new dimension of freedom in generating shapes and geometries is opened, offering more flexibility for optimizing the parts and components according to functional and performance requirements. On the other hand, the efforts of qualifying an AM part to flight worthiness are significantly higher than for conventional manufacturing technologies, taking into account all the required aspects of material and production process control, inspection and testing. A concise trade-off has to be performed for each potential use case to find out whether these high efforts and associated costs are justified by the benefits of the new technology such as e.g. light-weighting, ease of integration and performance improvement.

The paper introduces OHB’s AM roadmap, which has been developed jointly by OHB experts from both sites in Bremen and Oberpfaffenhofen, following an in-depth analysis of the potential impact of the technology on space systems. Furthermore, it provides an overview of applications where AM is expected to offer extraordinary opportunities. 

Among these ‘high-potential’ applications the two following topics are addressed in more detail:
\begin{itemize}\item opto-mechanical assemblies (isostatic structures, optical mounts) and \end{itemize}
\begin{itemize}\item mechatronic systems (compliant mechanisms or integrated smart structures).

\end{itemize}The paper reports on the objectives and work logic of ongoing studies in these specific topics and provides intermediate results.

Abstract document

IAC-18,C2,9,5,x44583.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-18,C2,9,5,x44583.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.