NASA space center first customer for aluminum 3D-printing powder

HRL Laboratories 7A77 powder for 3D printing high-strength aluminum. HRL Laboratories

HRL Additive, a new commercial effort by HRL Laboratories LLC, Malibu, Calif., has secured the first commercial sale of its 7A77 high-strength aluminum 3D-printing powder to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

This printable aluminum powder is the first additive feedstock registered by The Aluminum Association. The feedstock powder can be used with standard, off-the-shelf additive manufacturing equipment without any modifications.

“Certainly, the 7A77 feedstock powder could unlock the production of large-scale components produced via fusion-based additive manufacturing,” said Omar Rodriguez of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

“Printed test articles will be subjected to a comprehensive characterization regime expanding several length-scales. The end-goal of this research effort is to expand MSFC’s range of fusion-based additive feedstock materials. If successful in our research endeavor, the feedstock powder could be part of the aerospace-related assets produced at the planned large-scale, advanced manufacturing facility.”