Welding system supplier Sciaky (Chicago, Illinois) has entered a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor-Protégé agreement with Lockheed Martin’s aeronautics business to further expand its Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing capabilities.
Developed with assistance from the DoD Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, Sciaky’s Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing combines additive manufacturing principles, CAD and electron beam welding technology. The process uses a fully articulated, moving electron beam gun that starts with a CAD model and deposits metal layer-by-layer until the part is ready for finish machining.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will help Sciaky expand manufacturing capacity and management infrastructure in order to deliver enough titanium raw material pre-forms to support future DoD and prime contractor needs. The initial focus will be titanium structural components for Lockheed’s F-35 aircraft program, although the security firm plans to says it plans to expand use of Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing to other aircraft product lines in the future.
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