Aerojet Rocketdyne completed a hot-fire test of its MPS-120 CubeSat High-Impulse Adaptable Modular Propulsion System (CHAMPS), the first 3D-printed hydrazine integrated propulsion system, in 2014.

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc., the American rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer, has recently announced that it has acquired 3D Material Technologies (3DMT) from ARC Group Worldwide, Inc. 3DMT is a provider of additive manufacturing services to the aerospace, defense, medical and industrial markets.

According to Aerojet Rocketdyne, the company aims to use the acquisition to develop and produce metal alloy additive manufacturing parts for aerospace propulsion and power systems. Aerojet Rocketdyne has previously qualified production parts for the RL10 and RS-25 liquid rocket engines and sees growth opportunities for these complex, high value systems. Additionally, the company’s defense business unit continues to develop and demonstrate the benefits of additive manufacturing for its hypersonic propulsion systems.

The 3DMT facility

“The addition of 3DMT’s capacity and expertise in metal alloy additive manufacturing expands our range of products and services in the space and defense markets,” said CEO and President Eileen Drake. “As we look to the future, additive manufacturing will continue to play an important role in lowering costs and production timelines. This deal allows Aerojet Rocketdyne to broaden its application of this revolutionary technology. We respect the long-standing reputation for quality and customer focus that 3DMT has built in the aerospace industry and we are thrilled to welcome them to our company.”

3DMT is not a 3D printer equipment manufacturer. The company’s primary business is as a service bureau or contract manufacturer, doing prototyping and short-run production in the aerospace, defense, medical and industrial manufacturing markets. Fitting with these industries, the company produces functional components in alloys such as titanium, aluminum, Inconel, stainless steel and cobalt chrome. According to the 3DMT website, 3DMT has additive manufacturing, CNC machining, Wire EDM, and heat treatment capabilities. For additive manufacturing, the company uses one EOS M400 machine, 11 EOS M280s, 2 Concept Laser M1s, one Concept Laser M2, a Velo3D Sapphire, and two Stratasys machines: the Fortus F400 and F250. For machining, they use Makino and Haas 3-axis mills and Makino, Mitsubishi and FANUC Robocut 4-axis Wire EDM machines.

3DMT will continue to operate with its existing workforce at its 28,000 square ft. facility located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Aerojet Rocketdyne has more than 5,000 employees at 14 sites around the country, including approximately 650 employees at its facilities in West Palm Beach and Orlando, Florida.

For more information on how metal additive manufacturing is used in the aerospace industry, check out How Metal Additive Manufacturing is Changing the Aerospace Industry Landscape.