b'28 Partner News Spring 2023CorporateTo help us design and print the fin for Piranha we worked with a specialist additive manufacturing company, Airtech, who used a large Thermwood 1040 Additive Manufacturing machine based in Luxemburgthe only one of its kind in Europe. Thermwoods machines have also been tested by the U.S. Navy to produce an unclassified scale submarine nose. By printing our 7m submarine fin, weve proven that this type of additive manufacturing technique can directly print entire large submarine parts as well. It was able to print and machine a fin for a concept submarine in just 26 days, much less than half the traditional manufacturing time. 3D printing a newLowering the constraints of traditional fabrication also unleashed the creativity of designers, who were able to make the shape much more hydrodynamic and reduce Submarine bridge finthe weight. Instead of needing to create a flanged steel framework on which steel panels were weldedas they would using conventional manufacturing techniques, with BAE Systems they were able to create the fin in only three horizontal pieces, incorporating internal support struts integrally printed as part of the main body to add tensile strength. A further advantage of the 3D printer is that as it deposits each additive layer it can also compress it, removing any voids. It uses a thermal imaging camera to monitor the temperature of the production item, To experiment with new technologies inthen once it is sufficiently cooled, a built-in both design and build, we have begunAlthough focused as a UK Submarinecomputer-controlled machining tool creates design of our own UK Submarine TestbedTestbed platform, Piranha is beingthe desired smooth finish for a submarine platform, Piranha. This will allow us todesigned to eventually become anbridge fin. de-risk key new approaches, such as Largeautonomous submarine, with the first Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM), muchiterations including crew in order toThe same technology is also being tested to more rapidly and cost-effectively than wemore rapidly begin testing. As wellpotentially replace traditional mould tooling would with a conventional submarine.as key new technologies, it is also a(used for casting parts) used on our core testbed for how we use Model Basedsubmarines programmes. By using a Large Using LSAM, we have printed the entireSystems Engineering and other newScale Additive Manufacturing machine, the submarine fin for Piranha, which at 7mtechniques, so that we can feed backteam was able to go straight from CAD long and 2m highbigger than most killerwhat we learn into our core submarinesdrawing to printing the tooling, reducing whaleswe believe is the largest 3D partwork. a multiple-month lead-in time to just eight ever produced in Europe.days.To develop the autonomous systems Saving Time for Piranha, were working with otherThe team is now working to certify the use The potential benefits of additiveparts of BAE Systems to incorporateof large scale additive manufacturing for manufacturing are immense. You can getwhat they have learnt from productssubmarine parts. Anthony Stagg, Project your output in days rather than months,such as the P24 autonomous boat andDelivery Manager & Chief Engineer for so as well as reducing manufacturingthe M113 autonomous vehicle. PiranhaPiranha said: We wanted to prove that costs your design isnt as constrainedwill be nearly 30m long and powered byLSAM and 3D printing have a place in by the fabrication process, and youa diesel-electric engine. We expect thesubmarine manufacture, while at the same can create a stronger but lower-weightdesign to be complete in 2024 with thetime gain as much learning as possible and part. You can even provide greaterboat in the water by late 2026.push the boundaries of the technology to functional performance, such as increasingimprove the process for when we apply it on hydrodynamic efficiency. our core programmes.'