On October 29th, as a leading supplier of economical and reliable launch vehicles, spacecraft and aerospace services, Firefly Aerospace announced a blockbuster commitment to transfer large-scale parts manufacturing from Ingersoll machine tools to automatic fibers starting in 2021. Place (AFP) Mongoose mixing system to improve its manufacturing capacity. Once the system is fully operational, AFP will enable it to produce an all-composite Alpha rocket fuselage in just 14 days.
From the very beginning, Firefly chose to use 21st century materials and manufacturing processes for spacecraft and rocket design. If metal materials were the most popular aerospace materials in the last century, nowadays, composite materials that are stronger and lighter than metal materials are the choice of modern aircraft.
The Alpha developed by Firefly is the world's largest full carbon fiber liquid fuel rocket. At present, high-speed, automated, large-scale automatic fiber placement (AFP) machines like those produced by Ingersoll Machine Tool Company are now widely used in the aircraft manufacturing industry. These machines basically allow 3D printing of very large composite structures, which is more challenging for metal 3D printing.
Firefly will install the first of two AFP systems at its manufacturing and testing facility in Briggs, Texas in May 2021, where Alpha will use the AFP manufacturing process for requalification. Firefly’s new Space Coast plant and Cape Canaveral launch site in Florida will begin construction of a second automated assembly line in 2022, and will eventually be able to produce approximately 24 Alpha rockets per year. The Briggs plant will shift to large Automated development and manufacturing of β launch vehicle.
Firefly will use the same AFPs increasingly used by leading aerospace companies to more efficiently manufacture the latest composite fuselages for commercial airliners, government aircraft and fighter jets, from Boeing 787, Airbus A350 to F-35, Firefly's AFP system will produce all the carbon fiber structures of the Alpha rocket in just 14 days, including the barrel, fairing, dome and payload components.
Firefly's Mongoose Hybrid will be equipped with Ingersoll's new Hawk fiber transmission module for the first time. The module is designed and tested to achieve high productivity and high reliability on low-curvature surfaces. Mongoose Hybrid also has the function of Ingersoll to automatically exchange multiple composite material manufacturing modules in adjacent work areas, allowing multiple tools to be automatically stacked without manual intervention.
Firefly's new automated rocket factory will generate a wide range of benefits, including reducing composite material waste by 30-50%, improving repeatability, reducing touch labor and manufacturing time, and a customized and optimized structure to further reduce weight and overall cost.
Chip Storey, CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tool Company, said: "Ingersoll is pleased to bring its rich experience in automated composite manufacturing and aerospace industrial robotics to the world of space rockets and Firefly exploration. Ingersoll's major aircraft in the world Designs (including the 787 and A350) have played an important role in achieving breakthrough airframe production, and we look forward to supporting Ingersoll and its innovative methods to achieve efficient and economical production and further development of Alpha, Beta, and future spacecraft. "
About Firefly Aerospace
Firefly is developing a series of launch and space vehicles and related services to provide industry-leading economy, convenience and reliability. Firefly’s launch vehicle utilizes common technology, manufacturing infrastructure and carrying capacity to provide LEO launch solutions for payloads of up to 4 tons at the lowest cost/kg of a small-lift launch vehicle.
The combination of Firefly and Firefly's space vehicles (such as the Orbital Transfer Vehicle and Genesis Lander) provides a one-stop service for the aerospace industry and can perform missions such as moon landings. Firefly is headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas, and is funded by Max Polyakov's Menlo Park's Noosphere Ventures.