Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing

Christoph Lotz; Yvonne Wessarges; Jörg Hermsdorf; Wolfgang Ertmer; Ludger Overmeyer

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2018.01.010

Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing

Christoph Lotz^*
, Yvonne Wessarges^*
, Jörg Hermsdorf^*
, Wolfgang Ertmer
, Ludger Overmeyer

^*Corresponding author for this work

Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Abstract

Through the striving of humanity into space, new production processes and technologies for the use under microgravity will be essential in the future. Production of objects in space demands for new processes, like additive manufacturing. This paper presents the concept and the realization for a new machine to investigate microgravity production processes on earth. The machine is based on linear long stator drives and a vacuum chamber carrying up to 1000 kg. For the first time high repetition rate and associated low experimental costs can provide basic research. The paper also introduces the substrate-free additive manufacturing as a future research topic and one of our primary application.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1967-1974
Number of pages	8
Journal	Advances in space research
Volume	61
Issue number	8
E-pub ahead of print	31 Jan 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2018.01.010 https://doi.org/10.15488/4638
Publication status	Published - 15 Apr 2018

Keywords

Additive manufacturing
Drop tower
Laser beam melting (LBM)
Laser metal deposition (LMD)
Linear motor
Microgravity and hypogravity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Aerospace Engineering
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Geophysics
Atmospheric Science
Space and Planetary Science
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Access to Document

10.1016/j.asr.2018.01.010Licence: CC BY 4.0
10.15488/4638Licence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

@article{8db4468d0d4d4c5b9f10944f9e6b4818,

title = "Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing",

abstract = "Through the striving of humanity into space, new production processes and technologies for the use under microgravity will be essential in the future. Production of objects in space demands for new processes, like additive manufacturing. This paper presents the concept and the realization for a new machine to investigate microgravity production processes on earth. The machine is based on linear long stator drives and a vacuum chamber carrying up to 1000 kg. For the first time high repetition rate and associated low experimental costs can provide basic research. The paper also introduces the substrate-free additive manufacturing as a future research topic and one of our primary application.",

keywords = "Additive manufacturing, Drop tower, Laser beam melting (LBM), Laser metal deposition (LMD), Linear motor, Microgravity and hypogravity",

author = "Christoph Lotz and Yvonne Wessarges and J{\"o}rg Hermsdorf and Wolfgang Ertmer and Ludger Overmeyer",

note = "Funding information: The authors would like to thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Lower Saxony state government for their financial support for building the Hannover Institute of Technology (HITec) and the Einstein-Elevator ( NI1450004 ).",

year = "2018",

month = apr,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.asr.2018.01.010",

language = "English",

volume = "61",

pages = "1967--1974",

journal = "Advances in space research",

issn = "0273-1177",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

number = "8",

}

Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing. / Lotz, Christoph; Wessarges, Yvonne; Hermsdorf, Jörg et al.
In: Advances in space research, Vol. 61, No. 8, 15.04.2018, p. 1967-1974.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing

AU - Lotz, Christoph

AU - Wessarges, Yvonne

AU - Hermsdorf, Jörg

AU - Ertmer, Wolfgang

AU - Overmeyer, Ludger

N1 - Funding information: The authors would like to thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Lower Saxony state government for their financial support for building the Hannover Institute of Technology (HITec) and the Einstein-Elevator ( NI1450004 ).

PY - 2018/4/15

Y1 - 2018/4/15

N2 - Through the striving of humanity into space, new production processes and technologies for the use under microgravity will be essential in the future. Production of objects in space demands for new processes, like additive manufacturing. This paper presents the concept and the realization for a new machine to investigate microgravity production processes on earth. The machine is based on linear long stator drives and a vacuum chamber carrying up to 1000 kg. For the first time high repetition rate and associated low experimental costs can provide basic research. The paper also introduces the substrate-free additive manufacturing as a future research topic and one of our primary application.

AB - Through the striving of humanity into space, new production processes and technologies for the use under microgravity will be essential in the future. Production of objects in space demands for new processes, like additive manufacturing. This paper presents the concept and the realization for a new machine to investigate microgravity production processes on earth. The machine is based on linear long stator drives and a vacuum chamber carrying up to 1000 kg. For the first time high repetition rate and associated low experimental costs can provide basic research. The paper also introduces the substrate-free additive manufacturing as a future research topic and one of our primary application.

KW - Additive manufacturing

KW - Drop tower

KW - Laser beam melting (LBM)

KW - Laser metal deposition (LMD)

KW - Linear motor

KW - Microgravity and hypogravity

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85042599867

U2 - 10.1016/j.asr.2018.01.010

DO - 10.1016/j.asr.2018.01.010

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85042599867

SN - 0273-1177

VL - 61

SP - 1967

EP - 1974

JO - Advances in space research

JF - Advances in space research

IS - 8

ER -

Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

Einstein-Elevator

Equipment

Einstein-Elevator

Cite this