The First Test Lab Dedicated to Additive Manufacturing

SPECIALIZING IN THE VALIDATION, QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF
SPACE FLIGHT MATERIAL, LAUNCH VEHICLES AND SATELLITE TECHNOLOGIES

Launch Sooner

ASTRO serves as a partner for aerospace primes and advanced space companies contributing to the incorporation of advanced materials and intelligent engineering into complex flight hardware.

Along with our customer base, we work hand-in-hand with the industry’s raw material providers, international standards developers and AM research institutes to engage in the meticulous analysis of the properties of novel super alloys and the innovative technologies that fabricate with them. Throughout this process, we support progress in AM development and production methodologies through qualification and certification pathways towards the industrialization and democratization of additive.

NOBODY WANTS TO FALL BACK TO EARTH

With a rich legacy in the testing of flight hardware, our team has played a pivotal role in risk mitigation and prevention following catastrophic events in aerospace history.

From breaking landing legs on rockets and wheels on Martian rovers, to dismantling foam insulation on the Space Shuttle and destroying lunar components, our experience in failure analysis spans over three decades.

We firmly believe that this history of navigating orbital challenges has uniquely positioned us with a comprehensive understanding of acceptance criteria through testing the physical properties of materials under both dynamic and static forces. With a focus on additive manufacturing, we have paired our practices with further chemical and metallurgical analysis to create a full scope approach to conformance.

Our Additive Research

  • Effects of defects in additive manufactured components

  • Detection of Spherical and Metallurgical Micropores in Gas Atomized Powder Particles

  • Thermal Gradient Variables on the Generation of Residual Stress

  • Initial Characterization to substantiate material properties and performance capabilities

  • Performance of Process Parameter Optimization Survey Builds

  • Impact of Surface Roughness on Crack Propagation

  • Porosity-Induced Stress Intensification from Laser Zones

  • Material Qualification and Parameter Development for Super Alloy Compositions

  • Heat Treatment & Hot Isostatic Press Variables on Mechanical Properties

  • Achieving Repeatable Mechanical Results from Multiple Lots on Production by LPBF

  • Development of SN Curves in Fatigue Data from Varying Process Parameters

  • Process Monitoring and Control in Serial Test Methods

  • Weld Strength on Additively Manufactured Components (DED & LPBF)

  • Fatigue Lifecycle of Laminated Orthotropic Structures

  • Improvement of Mechanical Properties on As-Printed vs Machined Specimens

  • Development of Specification for Design Allowables on Spaceflight Hardware

  • Topographic Contrast and Backscatter Identification with Scanning Electron Microscope

  • Upper Load, Lower Load, PQ and Pmax vs Grain Direction in Printing

  • Establishing LCF Frequency Strategy through Fractography 

  • Print Parameter Evaluation due to Variable Laser Power, Speed and Gas Flow

  • Effects of Recyclability of Raw Material on Mechanical Properties

  • Epitaxy and Microstructure Evolution of Additive Super Alloys

  • Keyholing and Microcracking on AlSi10Mg specimens with T6 Heat Treatment

  • Wrought vs LPBF Thermal Properties of L605 during Elevated Tensile Testing

  • Gas Flow Optimization and Behavioral Characteristics in Chamber

material DEVELOPMENT

LPBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion)
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
SLM (Selective Laser Melting)
DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering)
EBM (Electron Beam Melting)

Aluminum

AlSi10Mg
Scalmalloy
Al-6061
Al-7075
AlSi7Mg (F357)
A6061-RAM2

Nickel

Inco625
Inco718
H-X
ABD900
L-605 / Haynes 25
Haynes 282
M-M509

IRON

Invar
FeNi

Stainless steel

SS310
SS316
SS17-4
SS15-5

Titanium

Ti Grade 2, 5, 23
TiAl6V4

Copper

GRCop-42
CuCrZr
C18150

Refractory

Tantalum
Niobium

Testing SERVICES

We focus on the two most favored methods of mechanical testing : Tensile + Fatigue
We can perform Tensile & Fatigue tests in Environmental Test Chambers for Cryogenic and Elevated Temperatures

 

Our fleet of testing machines consist of Instron and MTS stands with varying capabilities.
We have the option of various load cells and increasing pound-force to meet hundreds of specimen testing requirements

 
 
 

  • Tensile testing is used to determine the behavior of a sample while an axial stretching load is applied. Tensile testing is used to determine the maximum load (tensile strength) that a material can withstand.

    Our tensile testing machines utilize state-of-the-art digital instrumentation to report the ultimate tensile strength, maximum elongation, and reduction of the area of a material. Based on your requirements, testing results may include:

    • Maximum Load, Deflection and Work

    • Stress and Strain

    • Young's Modulus: elastic limit, yield point, yield strength and elongation

    • Poisson's Ration: lateral strain, longitudinal strain

  • Fatigue testing is used to characterize material properties behavior during cycling loading. It measures how cyclic forces will affect a product or material over time, using varying loads, speeds and environmental conditions to create predictive patterns for material behavior. Based on your requirements, results show a fatigue strength curve, which demonstrates the material’s resistance to cyclic loading over varying stress levels.

    Our fatigue testing capabilities include:

    • Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF)

    • High Cycle Fatigue (HCF)

    • Room & Elevated Temperature

  • We can perform Tensile & Fatigue tests in Environmental Test Chambers for Cryogenic and Elevated Temperatures

    • Tension/Compression

    • Shear Properties

    • Fracture Toughness

    • Impact Testing (Charpy, IZOD)

    • Universal Hardness (Rockwell, Brinell)

    • Creep and Stress Rupture

    • Bend Testing

    • Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

  • We strive to help our customers accurately evaluate their product's design and choice of material. Due to this demand, we have metallurgical analysis capabilities to help customers evaluate a product during its design and development phase, with the aim of production.

    METALLURGY SERVICES :

    • Particle Size Distribution (PSD), particle morphology, aspect ratio, etc. of a powder sample

    • Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen content of powder sample and printed coupons

    • Carbon and Sulfur content of a powder sample and printed coupons

    • Flowability of a powder sample

    • Apparent density measurement of a powder sample

    • Tap density measurement of a powder sample

    • Microstructure, texture, and grain size of powder and printed specimens (SEM)

    • Chemical composition of the powder and printed coupons (EDS)

    • Cutting, mounting, polishing, etching specimens for metallurgical analysis

 
 
 

metallurgy

We strive to help our customers accurately evaluate their product's design and choice of material. Due to this demand, we have metallurgical analysis capabilities to help customers evaluate a product during its design and development phase, with the aim of production.

    • Particle Size Distribution (PSD), particle morphology, aspect ratio, etc. of a powder sample

    • Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen content of powder sample and printed coupons

    • Carbon and Sulfur content of a powder sample and printed coupons

    • Flowability of a powder sample

    • Apparent density measurement of a powder sample

    • Tap density measurement of a powder sample

    • Microstructure, texture, and grain size of powder and printed specimens (SEM)

    • Chemical composition of the powder and printed coupons (EDS)

    • Cutting, mounting, polishing, etching specimens for metallurgical analysis

 
 

SPECIMEN PREPARATION

We have developed a proprietary machining solution with the markets leading specimen preparation equipment to ensure speed and precision. We machine to ASTM, ISO, DIN, JIS, and other global standards. We also perform surface finish operations and verify dimensional symmetry before testing.

    • CNC MILLING

    • CNC LATHE

    • WIRE EDM, BANDSAW, WATERJET

    • Custom Fixtures for specialty specimen

    • Custom Grips for specialty testing

 
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our processes are As9100 certified.
OUR FACILITY IS ISO 17025 COMPLIANT.

ASTRO’S Quality experts have been auditing suppliers across the country against QMS standards for nearly four decades, led over 2,000 audits across the globe, and have implemented robust studies from the standardization of processes throughout ASTRO. This has assured an increase in efficiency, a strong competitive edge and a reduction of operational expenditure so that we can keep meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

ASTRO is headquartered in Los Angeles for convenient, quick-turn services for our OEM primes, Government and Private sector Aerospace customers.