Additive Manufacturing Fan Housings for the Universal Waste Management System Using the Electron-Beam Powder Bed Fusion Process

The Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) is the next-generation space toilet destined for the International Space Station and the Orion Multi-purpose crew vehicle. The backbone of the UWMS system is the Dual Fan Separator, which serves the dual purpose of providing suction to gather urine from the user and capture waste gases from the commode. To maintain tight tolerances for smooth fan operation, the housings for the dual fan separator were designed to be two pieces. More traditional manufacturing methods, including investment casting, posed significant risk to meeting design tolerances and manufacturability. Working with the additive manufacturing group at Johnson Space Center and MSFC, Collins Aerospace and LAI International embarked on designing and building the housings using the electron beam powder bed fusion process. This paper details the development and qualification effort to prepare the housings for flight.