3D Printing

Creating multi-metal custom heat exchangers with 3D printing

Founded in 2011, Fabrisonic LLC provides 3D metal printing services for equipment and contract services using its ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) process, which uses the power of sound to merge layers of metal foil. Like other additive manufacturing processes, UAM lets designers develop and build complex components with unique features and attributes that are not possible through traditional manufacturing techniques. One example is the specialty heat exchanger.

Specialty heat exchangers have been made through traditional CNC machining. But this process limits the shape of the internal passageway to planar arrays of cross-drilled holes. The complex three-dimensional heat exchangers can be made with a series of interlocking machined components using brazing or diffusion bonding, but these techniques are more expensive and time consuming in regards to production and assembly.

Microchannel heat exchanger. Using Fabrisonic’s hybrid additive/subtractive system complex internal channels can be printed from 0.010 in. to larger than 0.5 in. in width.
Microchannel heat exchanger. Using Fabrisonic’s hybrid additive/subtractive system complex internal channels can be printed from 0.010 in. to larger than 0.5 in. in width.

The UAM 3D printing process merges layers of metal foil for true metallurgical bonds with full density. The materials you can use with this process include copper, stainless steel, aluminum and titanium.

Fabrisonic’s process can print multiple metals together without causing metallurgical problems. In this example the high heat areas are made of copper and the rest of the structure is made of aluminum to reduce weight.
Fabrisonic’s process can print multiple metals together without causing metallurgical problems. In this example the high heat areas are made of copper and the rest of the structure is made of aluminum to reduce weight.

With Fabriconic’s metal 3D printing technology industrial customers can:

Print parts using aluminum and copper

Print complex internal channels arranged in any direction

And, with ultrasonic additive manufacturing, enable unique flow-path cross sections and channel sizes

Achieve the same internal surface finish and repeatability as traditional CNC machining

Permit joints of dissimilar metals without the formation of brittle intermetallics

Build aerospace components with burst pressures in excess of 3000 PSI, with 4000 PSI in similar copper structures.

Another application that fits this technology is building wave guides, which are used in industry in several ways:

— Radio frequency devices use them to transfer energy from one point to another efficiently by confining wave propagation to a single dimension

–They transmit energy to and from antennas

–They match impedance to the transmitting/receiving device for optimal power transmission

3D printed wave guide. Fabrisonic’s 3D printing technology can be used to make complex channels inside solid metal parts. This can be useful for collecting and directing RF energy.
3D printed wave guide. Fabrisonic’s 3D printing technology can be used to make complex channels inside solid metal parts. This can be useful for collecting and directing RF energy.

 

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Wave guides have traditionally been made through CNC machining, which limits their shape to planar arrays. Although more complicated three-dimensional devices can be made with a series of interlocking machined components, they are expensive and time consuming to produce and assemble.

With Fabrisonic’s ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) process, a new realm of design and flexibility is available for radio frequency devices. Specifically, The UAM process can build wave guides with complex three dimensional geometry to exact specification, something that is simply impossible through standard subtractive CNC machining. With UAM, a complex winding design can be easily printed in a single step, freeing RF designers to build anything they can imagine.

Fabrisonic
www.fabrisonic.com