space propulsion

SOPHIA works with different materials in ALM, in order to manufacture metal Parts suitable for any advanced purpose.

Aluminium Alloys

Al-Si10-Mg | Al-Si7-Mg | 7075/7050 Aluminum Alloy | Scalmalloy

Are traditionally used in many industrial, aerospace and automotive applications. They possess high strength-to-weight ratios, and they also demonstrate good resistance to metal fatigue and corrosion. Due to the geometrically complex structures possible with additive manufacturing, further weight reduction is often possible with little or no compromise in strength and overall performance.

Titanium Alloys

Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 | Ti-6Al-4V Grade 23 | Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo | Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr | Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb

Used in additive manufacturing to produce a wide range of industrial components, including blades, fasteners, rings, discs, hubs and vessels. Titanium alloys are also used to produce high-performance race engine parts like gearboxes and connecting rods. Like cobalt chrome, titanium’s biocompatibility makes the metal a viable option for medical applications, particularly when direct metal contact with tissue or bone is a necessity.

Stainless Steel

316L | M300 | 17-4PH

Exhibits a number of mechanical properties favored in a variety of automotive, industrial, food processing and medical applications, including hardness, tensile strength, formability and impact resistance. SLM technology uses powdered stainless steel to produce dense, super-strong, waterproof parts for extreme environments like jet engines, rockets and even nuclear facilities.

Cobalt Chrome Alloys

CoCrMo

Used in additive manufacturing to print parts that often benefit from hot isostatic pressing (HIP), which combines high temperatures and pressures to induce a complex diffusion process that strengthens grain structures, producing fully dense metal parts. Medical field is suitable for these alloys.

Nickel-Based Alloys

INCONEL 718 | INCONEL 625

They produce strong, corrosion-resistant metal parts. These alloys are often used in high-stress, high-temperature aerospace, aeronautical, petrochemical and auto racing environments. The mechanical properties of nickel-based alloys used in additive manufacturing, such as Inconel 625, are considerably enhanced by the use of significant amounts of nickel, chromium and molybdenum in the metal. It resists pitting and cracking when exposed to chlorides. Inconel 718 is a metal that is also highly resistant to the corrosive effects of hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. It also demonstrates excellent tensile strength and good weldability.

Copper Alloys

CuCr1Zr | CuCrZr | CuNi2SiCr | GRCop-84

Using this copper alloy powder, high strength and wear resistant components can be printed. In comparison with pure Copper, components can stand higher temperatures and show a decreased tendency to tarnish. The material is used in electrical contact technology, as heat exchanger components and for induction coils. High thermal and electrical conductivity with good mechanical strength compared to other copper alloys.

In SOPHIA, the Industrial Research involves a close and programmatic cooperation with Universities, R&D Centers and innovative Companies in order to set-up, develop and realize optimized components for Aerospace, Defense, Automotive and Railway field.

The added value, in SOPHIA, is the integration of Additive Manufacturing with CNC Machining used to manufacture Complex Structures and Space Parts (Thrusters, Combustion Chambers and Nozzles).

SOPHIA is strongly investing on the powder mixing, in order to customize performing alloys for Additive Manufacturing. POWMIX is a process to realize custom powders for Additive Manufacturing by advanced mixing.

The powders, of different materials, are loaded in a sealed reactor. Inert gas is blown into the chamber and the powders come into a fluidization status. Using an acoustic field, sized in frequency and amplitude, the flow is excited. In this way, the energy action win the interparticle attraction forces, providing a homogeneous powders mix. The new powder blend is then used as a feedstock material in the Additive Layer Manufacturing process. This process is useful to produce complex geometries, optimized in material behavior, using both standard powders and custom mixing according to technical requests. Finishing and mechanical coupling are guaranteed using CNC machining.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS, RELEASED BY SOPHIA HIGH TECH