Equispheres powder is used to print the AconitySCAN, a key component of the Aconity3D line of printers.

Aconity3D is partnering with the Canadian materials supplier to distribute Equispheres feedstocks to its customers. “Our material has proven to work well with Aconity3D equipment,” says Evan Butler-Jones, Vice-President – Product & Strategy. “This non-exclusive agreement allows Aconity3D to provide its customers with a powder qualified on Aconity3D printing equipment, that has been shown to achieve higher build rates than traditional aluminum powders when combined with the precision and power of Aconity3D’s equipment.” Aconity3D is a manufacturer of custom, accurate metal additive manufacturing (AM) equipment. “We want our customers to have the best production experience when they utilize our specialized printer equipment. The best way to showcase our devices is to equip them with the best powder,” states Yves Hagedorn, Managing Director of Aconity3D. Aconity3D and Equispheres achieved remarkable production speeds for 3D printing using the AconityTWO system and Equispheres’ specialized aluminum powders with unique attributes designed explicitly for AM. Equispheres powder is used to print the AconitySCAN, a key component of the Aconity3D line of printers. “We are thrilled to build our partner network with a company of Aconity3D’s caliber,” says Butler-Jones. “They have a deep understanding of additive manufacturing and the skills, knowledge and equipment to push the boundaries of 3D printing of metal parts.” The AconitySCAN can be printed 3x faster using Equispheres’ powder (i.e., 53 hours reduced to 17.5 hours) with no impact on mechanical properties. This dramatic reduction in production time reduces the cost to produce the part by greater than 50%. Such a notable productivity improvement will help advance metal additive manufacturing in cost-sensitive industries like automotive. “This is a good example of how a high-precision printer and a high-performance powder can elevate additive manufacturing beyond conventional performance. Aconity3D has achieved fantastic results using our Performance line of powders, and now that same manufacturing advantage is available to any company embracing metal 3D printing.” Butler-Jones explains the spherical and uniform Equispheres powder can take advantage of both the precision and configurability of modern 3D printers. Equispheres powder can absorb the energy from a powerful one-kilowatt laser without disturbing the stability of the melt pool. This is not attainable with standard aluminum powders, and it becomes more important as the industry embraces newer higher-tech printing equipment.” Equispheres sells its powder directly in North America and Europe, backed by a strong Applications Engineering team. To serve the Japanese market, the company recently announced a distribution agreement with Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC).

A mix of skills that sees the German giant's know-how at the forefront together with the experience in additive manufacturing in industries such as energy, mobility and aerospace of the Italian-American company.

Siemens and Roboze announced a strategic partnership to create complete workflows for the industrialization of 3D printing and increase the production opportunities for companies involved in the energy, mobility, and aerospace sectors.

The collaboration will increase the productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency of manufacturers embarking on the path to the future of industry.

“We have embarked on a path that sees us leading the way with Roboze to increase the production capacities of manufacturing companies around the world,” explains Tim Bell, Additive Manufacturing Business Manager at Siemens. “We have experienced the potential of Roboze's 3D printing firsthand, so much so that we have chosen to implement their ARGO 500 into our processes. I’m excited to be part of this project as I see ample strategic opportunities for the future of manufacturing”.

The main activities will focus on digitalization and automation projects to address the challenges of today and tomorrow, while turning current obstacles into new opportunities to generate success.

The priorities set between Siemens and Roboze demonstrate the flexibility, agility, and scalability companies need to move towards digital transformation.

"We are excited to announce our new partnership with Siemens, which actually represents another step in our strategy to be closer to the industries we have served for years such as energy, mobility and aerospace." says Francesco Pantaleone, Vice-President of Business Development, Roboze. "For us, Siemens is an ideal partner to be even more present in these innovative sectors that want to start strategic digital transformation paths".

Order will support narrowbody market demand as air travel continues to recover.

Aircraft lessor Air Lease Corp. (ALC) is expanding its airplane portfolio with an order for 32 additional Boeing 737-8 and 737-9 jets. As the travel market recovers, ALC is increasing its 737 MAX family offering to meet airline demand for modern, fuel-efficient and sustainable operations.

"Following our memorandum of understanding with Boeing in February for these 32 737 MAX aircraft, we are pleased to announce the signing of this definitive purchase agreement. We believe that the economic and operating advantages of the 737 MAX will serve our airline customers well as they favor modern, fuel-efficient aircraft," said John L. Plueger, ALC CEO and president.

In February the lessor added 18 737 MAXs to its portfolio. With the new order, ALC has 130 737 MAXs in its backlog.

With commonality and improved fuel efficiency, the 737 MAX family enables airlines to optimize their fleets across a broad range of missions while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 20% compared to the airplanes they replace. With the 737 MAX, ALC customers can choose airplanes that are optimized to suit multiple markets based on range and size while offering commonality for pilots and crew. The versatility of the 737 MAX family allows airlines to offer new and more direct routes for passengers and makes these airplanes highly popular among leasing and airline customers around the world.

"The 737 MAX family has already proved its value within ALC's narrowbody portfolio, providing operators with excellent fuel efficiency and flexibility across different networks," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing. "The addition of more 737 MAXs, including 737-8s and 737-9s, will enable ALC to respond to accelerating market demand as air travel continues to recover."

ALC, based in Los Angeles, California, has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team are principally engaged in purchasing commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions.

European customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the first 22 aircraft.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. (De Havilland Canada) has launched the De Havilland DHC-515 firefighter (formerly known as the CL-515) program.

"After an extensive business and technical review, we are pleased to announce that we have launched the De Havilland DHC-515 Firefighter program, which will involve negotiating contracts with our European customers and ramping up for production," said Brian Chafe, CEO of De Havilland Canada.

The DHC-515 Firefighter will build on the history of the iconic Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft which have been a critical part of European and North American aerial firefighting fleets for over 50 years. Important upgrades are being made that will increase the functionality and effectiveness of this legendarily rugged firefighting aircraft.

European customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the first 22 aircraft pending the positive outcome of government-to-government negotiations through the Government of Canada's contracting agency, the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). De Havilland Canada expects first deliveries of the DHC-515 by the middle of the decade, with deliveries of aircraft 23 and beyond to begin at the end of the decade, providing other customers the opportunity to renew existing fleets or proceed with new acquisition opportunities at that time.

De Havilland Canada acquired the Canadair CL program in 2016 and has been contemplating a return to production since 2019. The new DHC-515 Firefighter matches the other aircraft in the De Havilland fleet in terms of lifespan, ruggedness, and Canadian aerospace engineering quality. The final assembly of the aircraft will take place in Calgary, Alberta, where work on the CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft currently takes place. It is anticipated that more than 500 people will need to be recruited through the coming years to successfully deliver this program.

"To bring the DHC-515 into production is important for not only our company, but countries around the world who rely on our aircraft to protect their people and forests," said Chafe. "We understand the important role the previous aircraft have played in protecting people and property and as our climate continues to change and summers increase in both temperature and length, the DHC-515 will be an important tool for countries around the globe to use in putting out fires."

The DHC-515 delivers multiple drops, in rapid succession, meaning faster fire suppression and allowing the aircraft and flight crew to better follow the behavior of today's wildfires.

It delivers the highest quantity of water into the fire-zone per day (nearly 700,000L), more than twice as much as its nearest competitor, and it refills its tanks in 12 seconds, from nearby fresh or saltwater sources including rivers, small lakes, and oceans, while land-based aircraft must return to airport after each drop.

A high-lift wing and turboprop engines with instant thrust, each allow for safer operation in mountainous terrain and the ability to drop close to fire with superior precision. It performs in high winds typical with megafires, capable of refilling in rough waters with waves up to 2m caused by those winds.

Its turboprop engines produce up to 50% lower CO2 emissions, burning 25% to 40% less fuel than jet engines.

In February 2022, De Havilland Canada became the operating brand for the companies that previously operated as Longview Aviation, Viking Air Ltd., Pacific Sky Training, and De Havilland Canada.

National competition for K-12 students features the agency’s Artemis missions.

NASA has chosen two students as winners of the Lunabotics Junior Contest, a national competition for K-12 students featuring the agency’s Artemis missions. Contestants were charged with designing a robot that can dig and move lunar soil, or regolith, from one area of the lunar South Pole to a holding container near a future Artemis moon base.

Fifteen-year-old Shriya Sawant of Cumming, Georgia, was the winner from grades 6-12 with her RAD: Regolith Accretion Device design. Nine-year-old Lucia Grisanti from Toms River, New Jersey, won for grades K-5 with her design of Olympus. Each robot successfully accomplished the task of collecting and transporting regolith across rugged lunar terrain.

Through its Artemis Student Challenges, NASA is welcoming the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – to learn more about the mission that will pave the way to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon. Together with commercial and international partners, NASA will establish a sustainable presence on the moon to prepare for missions to Mars.

“Looking at the designs these students submitted for Lunabotics Junior, it’s impossible not to be excited about the future of the Artemis Generation,” said Mike Kincaid, NASA’s associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement. “Their creativity and enthusiasm shine through in their ideas for a robot capable of mining lunar regolith.”

One national winner from each grade division was selected from approximately 2,300 submitted designs. The two awardees earned a virtual chat for their classrooms with Janet Petro, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the next astronauts to explore the moon will launch.

As NASA prepares to return to the moon, lunar regolith will be needed for multiple purposes, such as building a moon base using lunar concrete; harvesting water that also can be used for rocket fuel; and extracting possible metals or minerals. The contest asked students to consider factors unique to the lunar environment when imagining their designs.

Sawant designed an autonomous robot that would use a bucket drum to excavate soil in a creative way. Her system addressed the challenges of reduced gravity on the moon, lunar dust contamination, navigating rough terrain, and ensuring the robot stays balanced during excavation and transport.

Grisanti’s solar-powered robot would use spiked wheels to traverse the lunar surface and scoop regolith into a cone-shaped collector to separate large rocks from dust. She named it Olympus, after the home of Greek mythology’s Apollo and Artemis, which also are the names of NASA’s original and current lunar exploration programs.

Nearly 500 educators, professionals, and space enthusiasts served as volunteer judges to review student submissions. On March 15, judges selected 20 semifinalists, each of whom won a Lunabotics Junior Prize Pack. On March 22, eight finalists were announced and will receive a virtual education session with a NASA expert.

The contest semifinalists and finalists are as follows:

The Lunabotics Junior contest was a collaboration between Future Engineers, NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, and the Office of STEM Engagement.