Oerlikon AM provides 3D-printed aluminium heat exchangers for Ariane 6 rocket

Oerlikon AM, a specialist in additive manufacturing, has secured a contract worth up to €900,000 with ArianeGroup for the supply of 3D-printed heat exchanger sets for Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launcher.

In adherence to the contract, Oerlikon AM will utilise additive manufacturing to produce aluminium heat exchangers for the rocket's onboard equipment, significantly improving the performance and flexibility of the new launcher.

The Ariane 6 is expected to significantly impact various aspects of Europe's space endeavours, including scientific exploration, Earth observation, telecommunications, and national security.

The recent order received by Oerlikon AM marks a major milestone in its efforts to establish itself as a reliable partner for space industry serial parts. Oerlikon AM worked closely with the Ariane 6 technical team to ensure that the heat management solution met the most stringent technical requirements.

"These products are already part of our product portfolio, taking us an important step further on our way to supplying the industry with flight-critical class one parts in the very short term," Oerlikon illustrated in a statement.

Ariane 6 must launch multiple times each year into various orbits, including low Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, and sun-synchronous orbit. Oerlikon AM will assist ArianeGroup in meeting the rocket's production requirements for the next few years based on predicted demand.

Additive manufacturing has been around since the 1980s and has great potential. The use of aluminium alloys in 3D printing is becoming quite famous with every passing day. Aluminium is easy to handle and, in its powder form, can be run through the nozzles of a 3D printer to produce specially engineered precision parts.

In the future, industrial gases like argon, nitrogen, and helium may be used in AM for precise engineering standards. The gases will create inert atmospheres in an enclosed chamber to build objects one layer at a time, the opposite of subtractive manufacturing.