[T11] Industrial Application

[15P-T11-03] Advancements in Robot-Controlled Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing for Space Applications

*D. Wuu¹, Z. Zhang¹, Z. Zhang², T. Ba², V. Soh¹, P. Wang¹ (1.Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 2.Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore)

Keywords:Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing, On-Orbit Repair

The evolution of space technology requires suitable repair techniques for unexpected damage from aerolites and extended space missions. This study focuses on building a compact robot-controlled cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) system as the end-of-arm tooling for on-orbit repairs. In cold spray (CS), the particles are accelerated to high velocities to create a coating or freeform/near-net-shape without significant thermal input, thus preserving the integrity of substrate materials. The use of a robotic arm enables a precise-controlled repair in orbit at a far distance. Our approach addresses the limitations of traditional repair methods in microgravity environments by offering a versatile, efficient, and less resource-intensive solution. The integration of CSAM with robotic technology demonstrates significant potentials in offering prompt repairing of components and extending their service life in space and reducing expensive replacement costs. The present research focus on setup of CS system and a preliminary study of the deposits