AgniKul Cosmos, one of India’s leading space-tech companies, has announced a collaboration with EOS India, a leading supplier for responsible manufacturing solutions based on industrial 3D printing technology, to accelerate the in-house 3D printing of rocket engines. The company intends to 3D print its own range of rocket engines including Agnite and Agnilet engines.
EOS will be more than just a technology provider; it will also help to educate the industry about the widespread adoption of 3D printing as a mainstream manufacturing technique for space technology.
Key Takeaways from the MoU
- Under the terms of the agreement, both organisations will work to strengthen their synergies in the fields of 3D printing (for AgniKul) and subsystems (for EOS).
- AgniKul will have an EOS M400–4 printer installed at their facility.
- EOS’ Additive minds will provide technical assistance to AgniKul in advancing 3D printing of rocket engines all the way to space qualification.
- The partnership will also assist AgniKul in conceiving innovative manufacturing solutions in using industrial 3D printing technology to accelerate the design of affordable launch vehicles that drastically reduce launch wait time.
- EOS would also assist and support AgniKul by providing training, process know-how, and best practises for qualifying hardware that has previously worked successfully on the ground for spaceflight.
3D Printing of Rocket Engines | Why is it Crucial?
While a 3D printer is only a tool for manufacturing parts, it is critical in enhancing product development efforts. By in-house 3D printing of rocket engines, Agnikul will be control the entire rocket engine-making process from start to finish. This will enable rapid product realization by eliminating other dependencies in engine manufacturing.
Furthermore, by managing the process internally, AgniKul will be able to learn quickly, resulting in rapid progress in understanding and developing futuristic solutions, including materials research. The most important aspect will be the creation and protection of the company’s intellectual property.
This will have an impact not only on both organisations, but also on the space-tech and additive manufacturing ecosystems. Adoption of additive manufacturing technology for 3D printing of rocket engines will increase end-user confidence in the technology’s potential, allowing both nascent industries to grow rapidly.
Launch On-Demand
Flexibility will be an important differentiator and that is what AgniKul aims to target by incorporating 3D printing technology for rocket engines. With this technology, the company will be able to print an entire rocket engine in one-go. This effectively automates the engine-making process, allowing for launch-on-demand.
“We will continue to strive to make launch vehicles as customizable and flexible as possible, and we believe that making engines on-demand is a good starting point.”
– Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder AgniKul Cosmos
AatmaNirbharBharat Agnikul
“At Agnikul, we have always believed in the AatmaNirbharBharat vision of India. This partnership with EOS will provide us with a great platform to demonstrate our belief in this vision. Our engines will now be both designed and realized in India and truly be ‘Made in India, for the world’.”
– Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder AgniKul Cosmos
The company also shared that they share a common vision with their partner EOS in revolutionizing manufacturing by incorporating advanced and innovative technologies in product building. This enables AgniKul to go full throttle towards making AatmaNirbharBharat a reality.
(Inspired from the original blog published by Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder AgniKul Cosmos. To read, click Here)
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