OXFAB technology component. Photo: Oxford Performance Materials.

Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) announced the commercial launch of its nickel-plated OXFAB-Ni technology, offering 3D-printed Poly-Ether-Ketone-Ketone (PEKK)-based parts that replace high performance aluminum alloys for aerospace and industrial applications.

According to OPM, its OXFAB technology is suited for demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications where functional complexity and weight reduction can have a substantial and positive impact on performance, while also yielding cost and energy savings. According to the company, OXFAB structures offer weight, cost and time-to-market reductions that are defined in a set of specified performance attributes in the OPM B-Basis database, developed in conjunction with NASA and Northrop Grumman.

The principal construction material for OXFAB–Ni is OPM’s proprietary PEKK formulation, OXPEKK. According to OPM, this polymeric material has a range of benefits that include robust mechanical performance, extreme temperature tolerance, high purity, gamma stability, and high chemical resistance. OPM stated that some of OXFAB-Ni’s key characteristics include the same weight and strength as high performance aluminum alloys, radiation shielding, and the capacity to function up to temperatures of 375 degrees Fahrenheit.