Metal Technology partners with NASA to 3-D print rocket engine parts

Metal Technology (MTI), a custom manufacturing company specializing in reactive, refractory, and high-temperature metals based in Albany, Ore., has announced it is collaborating with NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to 3-D print rocket engine parts.

Teams of propulsion engineers and scientists are working to integrate additive manufacturing methods such as conformal regenerative cooling channels or other geometry not constrained by traditional manufacturing techniques, with the common goals of increasing performance and reducing weight.

MTI has produced components for NASA JSC out of INCONEL® 718 alloy. The material withstands extreme heat and corrosive environments without losing rigidity or becoming brittle. Recirculating gases are channeled throughout the component by invisible channels built into the part, one layer at a time, through 3-D printing.