According to the RAF, the development could save taxpayer money, reduce the UK’s reliance on global supply chains of critical and high value metals, and produce components that are lighter, stronger, and longer lasting than those made through traditional forging techniques.
Surplus MoD assets contain strategic metals, including high quality steel, aluminium, and titanium, and the Tornado 2 Tempest project team have been identifying whether some of these components could be atomised into powders for additive manufacturing to make new parts.
Tornado parts containing titanium, including jet engine compressor blades from a low-pressure air compressor, were selected. They were cleaned, atomised and recycled into a 3D printed nose cone and compressor blades by Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited (AMS) for Orpheus, which is Rolls-Royce’s small engine concept that is part of the MoD’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme delivering Tempest.
The nose cone was fitted onto an Orpheus test engine and passed suitability and safety checks.
“The Tornado 2 Tempest project exemplifies the forward-thinking sustainability principles embedded in the FCAS Sustainability Strategy and MoD Defence Support Strategy,” Andrew Eady, Rolls-Royce VP FCAS Sustainability, said in a statement. “This project is bold, exciting and innovative, and a demonstration of exemplary collaboration between the MoD, industry and SME, furthering the drive for circular economy practices and innovative digital enablers in defence.”
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The project was led by Defence Equipment and Support’s (DE&S) Defence Recycling & Disposals Team (DRDT) in partnership with the MoD FCAS team, Rolls-Royce and Burscough, Lancashire-based AMS.
Robert Higham, AMS Director, said: “At AMS our tagline is ‘Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future’ and we were confident our innovations and ideas would have a great bearing on the future of a resilient supply.
“This project turned our proposed solutions into a reality, and we have been very humbled and grateful to the MoD and Rolls Royce, for allowing us to showcase our capability to deliver game-changing circular economy processes and parts in defence.”
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