Thales Morocco qualifies AddUp’s FormUp 350 for ECSS
Under the European space protocol ECSS-Q-ST-70-80 C, the system has met technical requirements for aluminum parts
Thales 3D Morocco, a subsidiary of the Thales Group, and AddUp, a metal additive manufacturing company jointly owned by Michelin and Fives, have passed a special milestone and produced aluminum parts for aerospace and security applications achieving ECSS qualification.
AddUp installed and commissioned a FormUp 350 quad lasers machine in the Casablanca-based facility of Thales. Qualified under the European space protocol ECSS-Q-ST-70-80 C, the FormUp 350 has met technical requirements for some of the most challenging applications in the Thales ecosystem.
As part of this partnership, AddUp will also provide production assistance to Thales. Twin machines located in AddUp premises are currently undergoing the same validation process so that they can ensure business continuity when demand increases above Thales’ capacity.
“We are thrilled to supply the FormUp 350 to a customer such as Thales. This is a milestone for us which confirms the relevance of our product and business strategy” says Julien Marcilly, CEO of AddUp.”
Thales has been an early adopter of metal additive manufacturing. Titanium and aluminum parts have been commonly used onboard satellites since 2015. To accelerate the use of the technology across its portfolio, Thales opened a 3D manufacturing facility in 2017 in Casablanca, Morocco, strategically located in the heart of the local aerospace ecosystem. The facility specializes in the production of 3D parts that meet the high performance and quality standards required for critical applications in the Space, Aviation and Security domains, such as equipment and antenna supports, Radio Frequency components, heat sinks, etc.
“Working in partnership with AddUp to fine-tune the FormUp350 machine will not only help us reach best–in–class productivity and HSE protection but will also help reduce the cost of controls thanks to advanced monitoring functions,” says Xavier Crassous, International Operations and Partnerships Director. By adding this new multi-laser machine to Thales 3D Morocco production capability, we expect to significantly widen the range of Aluminum applications where we can bring innovation and competitiveness thanks to additive manufacturing.”
