Extrude Hone is proud to attend ICAM25 for a conference co-presented by Aaditya Pore, from NASA’s engine component development department, and Ray Amin, Extrude Hone Business Development Manager.

Their presentation will focus on the efficacy of the thermal energy method in eliminating support structures for laser powder bed fusion.

What is the ICAM25 ?

The International Conference on Additive Manufacturing (ICAM) is one of the leading global events bringing together researchers, engineers, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the latest breakthroughs in additive manufacturing.

Organized by the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE), ICAM25 encompasses a diverse range of applications—from aerospace to medical technologies—providing a unique platform to showcase innovations that redefine performance standards.

In this context, research on exotic alloys and advanced post-processing methods is opening new opportunities for propulsion systems and extreme environments.

This year, ICAM25 will take place from October 6 to October 10, 2025, at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, United States.

Summary of the lecture by Aaditya Pore and Ray Amin

A decade of opportunities

Additive manufacturing for propulsion applications has exploded in the past decade and brought with it new opportunities for exotic alloys that offer high strength under high-temperature extreme rocket engine environments.

One such alloy is a novel oxide dispersion-strengthened ODS NiCoCr alloy denoted GRX-810, which is amenable to additively manufactured engine components, including fuel injectors and turbomachinery.

The post-processing challenge

Post-processing of additively manufactured components required careful consideration with respect to support structure removal.

Typical methods include bead blasting or chemical, or mechanical surface finishing. However, these methods affect dimensional accuracy and remove material.

One challenge of additive manufacturing for turbomachinery is that the trailing edges require dimensional precision and sharp edges. Traditional support removal methods, which result in material removal, are not desirable to be applied at the 100% chord location where support structures are often employed.

A Novel Approach

A novel method for removing support structures is investigated which employs thermal energy from a combustion shock wave in a controlled chamber.

Comprehensive Study on GRX-810

A comprehensive study is presented which investigates the type of support and support spacing for GRX-810 manufactured with laser powder bed fusion.

Results are extrapolated to investigate several support structure geometries: tree, hatch, perforated lattice, and lattice, which were evaluated for engine component turbomachinery trailing edges.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy is employed to evaluate support removal efficacy.

Pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing for propulsion.

The research presented at ICAM25 demonstrates how the combination of advanced alloys like GRX-810 and innovative post-processing methods can push the boundaries of additive manufacturing for propulsion.

By addressing critical challenges such as dimensional precision and sharp geometries in turbomachinery, this work paves the way for engines that are more efficient, more reliable, and better suited for extreme environments.

ICAM25 once again proves to be a key platform for sharing cutting-edge innovations that shape the future of additive manufacturing and space propulsion.