ESA Open Invitation To Tender AO8899
Open Date: 07/04/2017
Closing Date: 19/05/2017 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 17.133.02
Prog. Ref.: GSTP Element 1 Dev
Budget Ref.: E/0904-611 – GSTP Element 1 Dev
Special Prov.: BE+DE+GB
Tender Type: C
Price Range: > 500 KEURO
Products: Launchers / Materials / Metallic / Satellites & Probes / Materials / Metallic
Techology Domains: Materials and Processes / Materials Processes / Advanced Materials Manufacture / Structures / High Stability and High-Precision S/C Structures / Advanced Material Technologies for Stable Structures
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Directorate of Tech, Eng. & Quality
Department: Product Assurance and Safety Department
Division: Materials & Components Technology Divisi
Contract Officer: Jeusset, Benjamin
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 07/04/2017
Update Reason: Tender issue

This activity will consist of identifying and possibly modifying (composition, process parameters) powder metallurgy materials usedin other industries with similarrequirements (e.g. aeronautics, medical industry) or promising novel/advanced materials.Powder metallurgy is currently used in several industries to replace conventional manufacturing processes, for demanding high performance applications, such asaero-engines or medical instruments. Powder metallurgy processes are near-netshape processes which allow parts with complex shapes to be produced withoutextensive machining and with reduced material waste. This is highly valuable for high hardness, high wear resistance materials which are very difficult tomachine/process and where small imperfections left by the machining process may lead to sudden failure of the final product.Moreover, in powder metallurgy processes (due to their fine grain structure)the material strength is often enhanced compared to parts produced from conventionalprocesses. Defects generated in conventional manufacturing routes such as casting and forging are also reduced (e.g. porosity, microsegregation). Suchadvantages are of high importance in high temperature structural applications where high strength, good fatigue properties and high creep resistance are required.Powder metallurgy parts are currently used in high temperature aeronautics applications (e.g. turbine discs in Ni-base superalloys) and high wear-resistancetools. The benefits of powder metallurgy materials are of high interest for space applications, in hightemperature parts such as rocket nozzles or where good wearresistance is needed, such as mechanism parts (e.g. gears). Powder metallurgy offers the unique opportunity to produce functionally graded materials withvariation of properties (e.g. softer core and harder surface). Main targeted applications could include: mechanisms, ultra-stable structures, mirrors, gears andbearings, telescopes, detectors, optical elements, nozzles and valves as well as damping structures.The following tasks will be performed:- Space applications (among the listed ones) where powder metallurgy will lead to a significant improvement in material structure (including functional gradingof properties), part performance, part accuracy and manufacturing efficiency (cost and lead time) will be identified.- Suitable materials will be selected for the identified applications. This will include powder metallurgy materials used in otherindustries (includingAeronautics and Medical) as well as promising new/advanced materials (including intermetallics, e.g. TiAl, Metal Matrix Composites, quasicrystalreinforced metals and mixtures only feasible by powder metallurgy, e.g. Cu-W).- Various consolidation processes will be investigated including Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis (SHS), HotIsostatic Pressing (HIP) and the most suitable one selected for the intended applications.- The powder metallurgy manufacturing route and associated process parameters will be optimized for the identified applications (powder selection,compaction, heat treatment, post-processing) via a dedicated optimization test campaign.- Demonstrator parts will be manufactured and tested/verified (viaa dedicated verification test campaign) to demonstrate success in meeting theapplications requirements.

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