Tricor Metals builds titanium support structure for historic NASA mission to the sun

Tricor Metals recently fabricated a full-scale prototype of the titanium-alloy support structure that will be part of the Solar Probe Plus (SPP) spacecraft. SPP is a NASA mission built and operated by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md.The SPP mission, scheduled for launch in 2018, will fly through the sun’s atmosphere (called the corona) 24 times and experience solar intensity of more than 475 times what we experience here on Earth. During SPP’s closest pass to the sun it will fly at a speed of 120 miles per second, the fastest speed ever accomplished by a man-made craft. The required launch-energy needed to propel the SPP will be the second most powerful in NASA history - behind only the New Horizon mission to Pluto.The titanium-alloy structure built by Tricor in their Wooster facilities plays an enabling role in terms of its strength to mass ratio and ability to position the Thermal Protection System (TPS) that shields the spacecraft from much of the sun’s radiation.Mike Stitzlein, Tricor’s president, said, We are proud of our work force and their abilities to design and build the most advanced metal process equipment. Most of our equipment is built to help our customers handle corrosives in chemicals, mining and allied markets. This project for Johns Hopkins solar-bound spacecraft was a fine example of the kinds of challenging fabrications our people build.This full-scale prototype support structure will be used for a series of environmental tests this summer that will demonstrate the capabilities of the structure as well as the TPS. Lessons learned from this testing will lead to design enhancements for the eventual flight structure.Brandon Clark, Tricor’s project manager, remarked, It’s pretty humbling that our team has a part in this NASA mission that is bound for a trip to the sun. This project demanded that we build to some tighter-than-usual tolerances. We employed a higher strength titanium alloy and managed a smart milling process in order to reduce the weight of this structure and accomplish their structural requirements. Like usual, our fabrication team really did a great job of building this structure spot on.The Solar Probe Plus mission is part of NASA’s Living with a Star Program, which is designed to understand aspects of the sun and Earth’s space environment that affect life and society. The program is managed by NASA’S Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., with oversight from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate’s Heliophysics Division. APL manages the Solar Probe Plus mission and is the prime contractor for the spacecraft.Tricor Metals is a woman-owned small business, headquartered in Wooster, with other facilities in Wooster, Morristown, Conroe, Texas and Plymouth, Mich. Tricor has earned a worldwide reputation as a premier fabricator of specialty process equipment of ASME code quality including:- custom plate and frame heat exchangers for power, chemical and HVAC markets, custom shell and tube heat exchangers, pressure vessels, pipe spools and custom welded parts of premium metals such as titanium, nickel alloys and stainless steels. They operate metal service centers and maintain one of the world’s largest stocks of premium performance metals including titanium, tantalum, zirconium, nickel-based alloys and duplex stainless steels. Welding processes are a core competency for the company.Tricor Industrial, Inc. also operates a premium quality industrial supply business in Wooster and Morristown. Established in the 1980s, Tricor provides Ohio and the surrounding areas with durable machining tools and supplies. They stock a full line of industrial products including: fasteners, hand and power tools, drills, taps, cutting tools, safety supplies and precision instruments, industrial and janitorial supplies.For more information, contact Ron Krajcik at 330-264-3299, ext. 2114 or ron@tricormetals.com.