Stratasys Ltd., a leader in polymer 3D printing solutions, announced that it is providing the public with baseline material qualification data for Antero 840CN03 filament material in collaboration with Lockheed Martin and Metropolitan State University of Denver. The release of this qualification data allows those in the industry to use the material for additively manufactured aerospace parts, such as those on the Orion spacecraft, using Stratasys production-grade 3D printers.
“We want to demonstrate a new model for how industry, manufacturers and academia can collaborate to gather and release material qualification data that helps accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing across the aerospace industry,” said Foster Ferguson, Director of Aerospace for Stratasys.
Designed for space-ready performance, Antero 840CN03 is a blended and functionalized PEKK-based high-performance, ESD thermoplastic composite material developed specifically for production-grade Stratasys FDM® 3D printers that meets ESD performance and NASA outgassing requirements while also exceeding the flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) characteristics required for aviation applications.
During this first phase of qualification, a baseline set of data was collected by printing over 280 test coupons in Antero 840CN03 on Stratasys Fortus® F900® 3D printers at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colo., and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing in Belton, Texas. Coupons were tested for tensile strength properties which is a key mechanical property for design. Data collected confirmed the high performance of the Antero material as well as the consistent mechanical properties which have been previously shown in academic studies. Future phases of testing will expand to additional relevant properties, giving design engineers additional data to work with in applying Antero to other part types and environments.
In the image: Hatch cover for the Orion spacecraft by Lockheed Martin printed in Antero840CN03
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29 March 2022
