Canada plans to send 3D printed carbon fiber parts to the moon

Canada’s AON3D, in partnership with Astrobotic, recently raised $11.
5 million in Series A financing to deliver the Peregrine Mission One (PM1) lunar lander assembled with 3D-printed parts and produced by Astrobotic to the moon
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To create mission-critical parts that can perform well in space conditions, the 3D printer manufacturer is using its recently launched AON M2+ high-temperature industrial 3D printer, which can fully utilize a variety of thermoplastic composites, carbon fiber composites and polystyrene Parts are manufactured from high-performance polymers such as ether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone ketone (PEKK), and polyether imide (ULTEM)
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The Peregrine series of lunar landers is designed to provide a reliable commercial product option for delivering supplies to the lunar surface.
It is planned to be officially launched in 2022 and will land on the site where the Apollo 17 spacecraft represented the first human landing in 1972.
This lander can effectively avoid damage to the body, while preventing damage to the payload carried inside
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Astrobotic was awarded the lander development mission in early 2021
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The lander will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur composite rocket powered by a pair of BE-4 engines built by Blue Origin
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The lander is still in the construction phase
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Knowing the challenges posed by the space environment and the complexity of the lunar landing system, the company hopes to use 3D printing technology to reduce costs as much as possible and make lightweight and durable parts
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Astrobotic mechanical engineer Clay Inman said that the vacuum environment in space is very harsh, and the relevant parts need to be able to cope with the huge challenges brought by the environment during launch and space flight
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Using a 3D printer to be able to use PEEK, PEKK and ULTEM for full-scale prototypes, economical prototypes and final parts for space-based applications is significant for the company to achieve its ambitious goals
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Astrobotic can now rigorously test 3D printed parts in production, create custom production tools, and then 3D print specialized, mission-specific components directly from engineering-grade materials
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The special working conditions in the aerospace field require some special materials to have excellent flame retardancy and chemical resistance, etc.
, and some materials need to be able to withstand temperatures of 127°C-173°C and radiation intensity about 200-1000 times that of the earth's surface
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In some special environments, the material also needs to withstand more than 180 decibels of acoustic vibration and maintain a high strength-to-weight ratio
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AON3D said that high-performance thermoplastic composites can withstand the above-mentioned harsh applications, while further reducing the weight of equipment; 3D printed thermoplastic composite parts reduce the weight of the body structure that originally required hundreds of aluminum alloy parts by 50%
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AON3D's M2+ printers are mainly used for electronic receivers, relays, bus bars, connectors, jig brackets and other internal components, while the DHL MoonBox material warehouse used to transport personal supplies is also 3D printed
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Vivek Ladsariya, a partner at SineWave Ventures, which led the Series A round, said AON3D’s mission is to address pain points in global manufacturing and create a broader future for 3D printing technology by creating solutions that positively impact more businesses
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With its ability to perform manufacturing tasks in 3D printers using a variety of materials, AON3D has a bright future ahead
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