Dyndrite and Elementum3D Launch Method To 3D Print Metal Components

The Dyndrite LPBF Pro end-user software has been chosen by Elementum3D to integrate the company’s PermiAM controlled permeability process, enabling laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) engineers to manufacture parts with porous and solid sections within a single build, enabling precise coolant flow while eliminating any need for assembly and reducing potential points of failure, the companies report.

PermiAM is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology developed collaboratively by Masten Space Systems (now Astrobotic) and Elementum 3D. The technique enables the creation of metal components that integrate regions of controlled permeability with fully dense structures within a single part. This capability works in hypersonic applications and rocket engine injectors. Controlling part porosity during the production process allows engineers to construct customized fluid control systems with optimized performance for extreme applications. A successful application of PermiAM was demonstrated through hot fire testing of a PermiAM-based 3D-printed fuel injector, marking an advancement in AM for aerospace applications, according to Elementum 3D.

Beyond aerospace, PermiAM holds potential for industries requiring intricate fluid control components, such as commercial jet engines and automotive fuel injection systems, and data center cooling applications, Elementum 3D adds.

PermiAM will be integrated within Dyndrite LPBF Pro software as a plug-in allowing engineers to apply PermiAM to parts in more complex ways, such as on curved 3D paths, amorphous geometries, and as functionally graded transitions between porous and solid materials. The companies will also partner in the testing and validating of physical printed demonstrators.

"Integrating PermiAM into Dyndrite LPBF Pro is a significant step forward in making advanced permeability-controlled metal AM at scale a reality,” says Dr. Jacob Nuechterlein, president and founder of Elementum 3D. “Dyndrite’s computational approach to additive manufacturing enables the precise control needed to fully leverage PermiAM’s capabilities, unlocking new possibilities for industries ranging from aerospace and defense to energy and beyond.”

"This is what the future of digital manufacturing looks like—software defined materials working to push the boundaries of what’s possible,” says Harshil Goel, founder and CEO of Dyndrite. “By enabling and scaling Elementum 3D’s PermiAM technology into Dyndrite LPBF Pro, we’re giving engineers and manufacturers unprecedented control over material properties, enabling production of concepts once thought impossible."

The PermiAM plug-in for Dyndrite LPBF Pro will be made available through Elementum3D.

Elementum 3D has received an AFWERK contract to commercialize the PermiAM solution for defense applications. The companies are currently seeking candidates, ideally from the space and/or defense (US Airforce) sectors for the next phase of development, which involves working on real-world applications. Interested parties are invited to contact Dyndrite or Elementum3D for consideration.

Click here for the full-size figure showing how AM engineers leverage PermiAM to produce porous metal structures with tunable properties.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.