A team of engineers in Scotland has developed copper rocket nozzles using cold spray technology. This method accelerates production from months to days and reduces material waste. For the public, this means that manufacturing complex parts for rockets, ships, or energy will be more efficient and cost-effective.
Cold spray: less heat, more precision 🚀
The technique uses copper particles accelerated at high speeds that adhere without melting, forming solid layers. Unlike traditional casting or machining, it requires no furnaces or lengthy welding processes. This allows for creating complex geometries with fewer steps and almost no waste. The result is a functional nozzle in days, not months, with mechanical properties similar to forged parts.
Goodbye to waiting months for a part that looks like a funnel 🔧
Now, instead of waiting until next quarter for a workshop to sweat bullets melting copper, engineers can spray a nozzle while sipping coffee. And the best part: if something goes wrong, there's no need to start from scratch with an ingot. Just spray another layer and you're done. Even leftover copper can be recycled. Space exploration becomes cheaper, and incidentally, future plumbers will have fewer excuses to delay repairs.