5 formas en que la fabricación aditiva está revolucionando el diseño de motores de cohetes

Introduction

Additive manufacturing—often referred to as 3D printing—is no longer just a prototyping tool. In the past decade, it has emerged as a powerful force driving innovation in aerospace, especially in the design and production of rocket engines. This technology is enabling engineers to achieve efficiencies, design complexities, and cost savings previously thought impossible.

Fact: According to NASA, more than 70% of the components in some modern rocket engines, such as the RL10C-X, are now produced using additive manufacturing.

This article highlights five pivotal ways additive manufacturing is reshaping rocket engine design and performance.

1. Enabling Complex Geometries Unattainable by Traditional Methods

Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of intricate internal channels, lattice structures, and conformal cooling passages that are difficult—or impossible—to produce with conventional machining.

• Benefit: Improved cooling efficiency, optimized fuel flow, and lighter components.

• Example: SpaceX’s SuperDraco thrusters feature regenerative cooling channels printed directly into the engine walls, enhancing heat management and structural integrity.

2. Rapid Prototyping and Iteration

With 3D printing, engineers can move from design to finished part in days rather than months, drastically accelerating the development cycle.

• Benefit: Faster testing, quicker design validation, and earlier identification of flaws.

• Example: Rocket Lab uses additive manufacturing to print its Rutherford engine in just 24 hours, enabling rapid design iteration and continuous improvement.

3. Reducing Part Count and Assembly Time

Traditional rocket engines can require hundreds or thousands of individual components, each needing precise machining and manual assembly. Additive manufacturing consolidates multiple parts into single, unified structures.

• Benefit: Fewer potential failure points, reduced assembly time, and improved reliability.

• Example: NASA’s additively manufactured injector reduced part count from 115 to just two.

4. Lowering Production Costs

By minimizing waste material, reducing labor-intensive assembly, and streamlining supply chains, additive manufacturing can significantly lower overall engine production costs.

• Benefit: Cost-effective manufacturing for both prototypes and flight-ready parts, supporting both commercial and exploratory missions.

• Data Point: GE’s LEAP fuel nozzle, 3D-printed for jet engines, is five times more durable and 25% lighter, with a production process that slashes costs by up to 30%.

5. Supporting On-Demand and In-Situ Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing paves the way for producing parts on demand, even in remote or off-planet environments.

• Benefit: Enables rapid replacement of critical parts and supports future missions requiring manufacturing in space or on other celestial bodies.

• Example: NASA successfully 3D-printed rocket engine parts aboard the International Space Station, demonstrating the feasibility of in-situ repair and fabrication.

Table: Additive Manufacturing vs. Traditional Manufacturing in Rocket Engines

Conclusion

Additive manufacturing is not just advancing rocket engine design—it’s revolutionizing it. By unlocking new geometries, speeding up development, reducing costs, and enabling future in-space fabrication, 3D printing is at the forefront of a new era in aerospace engineering.

How will your next rocket engine project harness the transformative power of additive manufacturing?

References

• NASA. "How 3D Printing is Changing Rocket Engines"

• Relativity Space. Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace

• GE Reports. 3D Printing Revolutionizes Jet Engine Manufacturing

• Rocket Lab. Rutherford Engine