Hulls are used in the construction of ground vehicles such as Humvees (Courtesy of ASTRO America)

The Applied Science & Technology Research Organization (ASTRO America) will manage the U.S. Army’s effort to build the world’s largest metal 3D printer for ground vehicle production and establish whether a 3D printer can manufacture a Humvee chassis in one build. Known as the ‘Jointless Hull Project’ the effort aims to provide improved production speeds, reduced production costs, reduced vehicle weight, greater vehicle performance and increased survivability.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) will collaborate with researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) to develop additive manufactured lighter weight weapons components for soldiers. The team will optimize the process parameters for the AM of a high-strength magnesium alloy. The lightweight alloy was used to fabricate 24 micro-lattice structures via laser powder bed fusion, allowing the characterization of its compressive strength and failure modes. The expectations are high-strength alloy will eventually be used in future military parts.

Magnesium AM lattice structures by UCF and ARL researchers. (Courtesy of UCF)

Novel process brings most reactive components to the surface (left) and traps the least reactive components at the core (right). (Courtesy Martin Thuo/Iowa State University)

Inspired by nature’s work to build spiky structures in caves, Iowa State University (ISU) researchers have developed a novel technology capable of recovering precious metals from the alloys in electrical waste, such as old phones, computers, and televisions. University start-up funds and part of a U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research grant supported development of the technology.

At relatively low temperatures, oxygen is introduced, slowly moving most reactive surfaces to the surface forming stalagmite-like spikes of metal oxides.  The least-reactive components remain in a purified, liquid core surrounded by brittle metal-oxide spikes “to create a so-called ‘ship-in-a-bottle structure,’” said Martin Thuo, the leader of the research project and an associate professor of materials science and engineering at ISU.

ORNL researchers used Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion to produce crack-free molybdenum, proving its viability for Additive Manufacturing. (Courtesy of ORNL/US Dept of Energy)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, proved molybdenum titanium carbide, a refractory metal alloy that can withstand extreme temperature environments, can also be crack free and dense when produced with electron beam powder bed fusion. Molybdenum (Mo) and other refractory alloys are difficult to process through traditional manufacturing because of their high melting temperature, reactivity with oxygen and brittleness.
 

Headlines

Pacific Sintered Metals Builds New Plant
New RST Alloys
New Wearsurfacing Alloy
P/M Research Program Begun in England
Sound Absorbing Material Made From Aluminum Powder
Gorham to Study Low Pressure HIPing
Fusion Inc. Offers Specialty Metal Powders
New RST Alloys for High Performance Applications
Sherritt Promoting Dispersion Strengthened Nickel for High Temp Uses
Melt Spin Casting Equipment
White House Economist Supports Economic Recovery
September 1 Deadline for Submitting P/M ’84 Papers
New MPIF Materials Standards
Fully Dense P/M Short Course 
P/M Design Clinic
MPIF Fall Management Conference & 39th Annual Meeting
‘83 Who’s Who Underway
MPIF Publishes New Design Guidebook
P/M equipment Directory Published
British P/M Conference
International Symposium on Brasses and Bronzes
People in the News