3D metal printing Massive rocket engine component printed in just four days

Manufacturing a rocket engine injector head with a diameter of 600 millimeters additively? Engineers from Leap71, together with Nikon SLM, have now successfully achieved this.

The injection head for a full-flow staged combustion rocket engine with 2000 kN (2 meganewtons) of thrust was printed using the SLM NXG 600E from Nikon SLM. The component is a critical element of the LEAP 71 XRB‑2E6 methane/liquid oxygen engine. With a diameter of 600 mm, it is one of the largest and most complex aerospace components ever additively manufactured. It was entirely generated by LEAP 71's Noyron-Large Computational Engineering Model, a physics-driven software system described as "the first AI that builds machines," operating completely without human intervention.

Gallery

Gallery with 7 images

Nikon SLM Solutions printed the component using Inconel 718, an aerospace nickel alloy specifically designed to withstand the immense thermal loads and pressures of a full-flow staged combustion cycle (FFSC). FFSC is considered the Holy Grail of rocket propulsion because it enables the most efficient conversion of the fuel's chemical energy into thrust. However, the engine cycle requires handling hot, pre-burned methane and oxygen flowing through the complex injection mechanism.

With 2 meganewtons of thrust, the XRB‑2E6 targets a similar level of thrust as the engines currently powering the latest generation of heavy-lift rockets. The company aims for practical tests of the XRB‑2E6 in the fourth quarter of 2027. As part of its ambitious timeline, LEAP 71 is forging partnerships for the early validation of industrial processes required for the reliable manufacturing of the engine, utilizing some of the largest metal 3D printers in the world.

Additively manufactured in just four days

Christoph Wangenheim, Head of Additive Material Products & Development at Nikon SLM Solutions, says: "When LEAP 71 approached us to discuss manufacturing a key component of one of the world’s most advanced aerospace propulsion systems, we knew this was a challenge we couldn’t resist. We worked closely with LEAP 71 to integrate essential manufacturing parameters into their Noyron system and finely tune the interactions of the steps in the process chain. This allowed us not only to reliably print the complex structure on the NXG 600E but also to do so in the record time of four days—a key to making production economically viable and enabling rapid iterations during qualification."

Noyron gives LEAP 71 the freedom to design complex, efficient structures with minimal manufacturing constraints. By printing the component as a monolithic whole, LEAP 71 eliminates the challenge of assembling hundreds of standardized parts, all of which would need to be machined and sealed with high precision. This significantly increases system reliability and reduces manufacturing time from weeks to days.

"The 12-laser system of the NXG reduces manufacturing time to a level that enables the fast turnaround time we need to fully leverage the iteration speed of our paradigm," says Josefine Lissner, co-founder and CEO of LEAP 71 and chief architect of the Noyron Large Computational Engineering Model.

Generate engine design without human intervention

Noyron generates the entire engine design from abstract specifications without human intervention within a few hours. The result is a functionally integrated component that requires no assembly and can be brought to the test stand with minimal additional post-processing. This is central to LEAP 71's philosophy of rapid and frequent practical testing to enrich Noyron with insights from the real world.

The XRB-2E6 system is intended as a reference design; customer engines are computationally derived for different target parameters. LEAP 71 collaborates with leading global companies to accelerate humanity's access to space.