“Manufacturing Systems of the Mars Homestead Project”

Local Steel, Aluminum, and Glass

Damon Ellender

MHP Programming Team

DamonE@marshome.org

Manufacturing

• Local Manufacturing is key to long-term planetary settlement

Requirements

• Steel Processing 400kg/day 1500K

• Aluminum Processing 25kg/day 1000K

• Glass Processing 200kg/day 1200K-1400K

• Manufactured Products as needed for construction(i.e. Structural, wire,…)

• Dual use or Flexible equipment used where possible

Glass Process

• Floated on Tin, Pilkington Process, 2mx4m float tray, made from local brick, covered to protect from dust

• Cooled using CO2 in Lehr, 2mx2m, made from local brick. Rollers imported.

• Cut into 1m x 1mx5mm glass panels for transport and further cutting.

• Located Outdoors

Cooling Lehr 2mx2mx1m (built from local Bricks,

Refractory) 200K

200kg/day

Glass Supply(Molten)1200-1400C200kg/day

Float Bath (Pilkington Process)Required a 20mm layer of

Sn(.16m3(1166kg))2mx4mx1m (built from local Bricks,

Refractory)1200-1400C200kg/day

Diamond Glass Cutter

1m2 (200kg)

18 cuts/day

Coo

ling

CO

22.

5 kW

Transport and Storage

Stacked on Trailer and

Moved by Rover18 1mx1mx5mm panes per day

1kW

Pow

er R

equi

rem

ent

Hea

ting

Met

hane

/O2

?? k

W

LCC Steel Process

• Low Carbon Content (LCC) Steel is better for low temperature application

• All products made of 6mm Sheet or cast directly• Provision for Rolling ‘Strip’ depending on size of Steel

Batch• Located Outdoors

Cooling Oven 2mx2mx1m (built from local Bricks,

Refractory) 200K

400 kg/day

Steel Supply(Molten)1500C

400kg/day

Strip Caster(3mx3m, 1000kg)1500-1000K

2mx6mm Strip~4m/day

Coo

ling

CO

24

kW

Transport and Storage

Rolled orStacked on Trailer and

Moved by Rover

Strip Caster

• 6mm thick x2m wide• Can be outdoors

though dust may require enclosed(not pressurized) areas

• Pickling could also be done in enclosed area to ensure recovery of acids/caustics.

Typical Strip Casting Process

• All products made of 6mm Sheet or cast directly• Provision for Rolling ‘Strip’ depending on size of

Steel Batch

Reference Earth Installations

Slab Caster

• For Context• Not practical for

amount of steel manufactured unless larger sections needed(i.e. rails)

• Batch Casting or Direct Chill better alternative

Aluminum Process

• Strip Casting possible using same process as Steel

• Direct Chill is also possible for Aluminum, not sure for Steel.

Cooling Oven 2mx2mx1m (built from local Bricks,

Refractory) 200K

25 kg/day

Aluminum Supply(Molten)1000C

25 kg/day

Strip Caster(3mx3m, 1000kg)1000-800K

2mx6mm Strip~4m/ 5day

Coo

ling

CO

2.3

5 kW

Transport and Storage

Rolled or Stacked on Trailer and

Moved by Rover

Aluminum Direct Chill Casting

• Ingots Poured Vertically

• Continuous Quench with Water or CO2

• Once Mold is full, valve shuts, and ingot is rotated and pressed out by ram.

• Other material could use this process(i.e steel)

Annealing Furnace

• Located Outdoors

• Capable of 1000K Temperatures

• Capable of Controlled Cooling(using CO2)

• Approximately 5mx1mx1m made from local Refractory

• Heat Exchanger Imported(1m3, 100kg)

• Uses Steam from Nuclear Reactor for Controlled Heating

Material Transport

• Need Glass, Steel, and Al transported from Refining to Manufacturing Airlock

• Need Steel Rolls transported to Annealing Oven

• Need Finished Products transported from Manufacturing Airlock to Area of Use

• Rover or Automated Robot Carrier could easily be programmed to perform this function.

Products Processing (Indoors)• Sheet Metal

– Foil Foil Mill (8m2,1000kg)– Ducting 4m brake(4m2, 200kg), Resistance Welder(.25m2,50kg), Rivets– Piping/Tubing Tube Mill(4m2,500kg)– Wire/Cable Stripper(4m2,200kg), Wire Mill(6m2, 500kg)– Mesh Expander(3m2,200kg)– Stamped

• Housings Press and Dies(4m2, 200kg), Castings(.5m2, 50kg)• Structural Members Press and Dies(4m2,200kg), Castings(4m2,100kg)• Rover Wheels Castings(.5m2,50kg), Press and Dies(4m2, 200kg)

– Roll Winder/Unwinder (4m2, 400kg)• Cast Metal

– Structural Beams Direct Chilled, Castings(4m2, 100kg)– Castings Castings(1m2, 100kg)

• Valves• Sprinklers• Rover Parts

• Glass Glass Cutter(2mx1m, 100kg)• Coatings

– Zinc Galvanizing Use Locally Made PE Tank, and Zinc– Powder Coating Line Includes Oven, 3mx3m, 400kg– Electroplating Use Locally Made PE Tank, and appropriate Eplating solution

• Shop– One Off Manufacture Drill Press, CNC Lathe, CNC Milling Machine (H&V), Grinders, Cutters– Prototyping Rapid Prototyping System, Wax or Plastic Investments Minimum

• Robots/Automation– 6 DOF Motoman Handles Resistance Welder, Plasma Cutter, and Manipulator– Crane Loading and Unloading of Heavy Items

Import ListingEquipment Floorspace Area Volume Weight

Foil Mill 4mx2m 8m3 1000

4m Brake 4mx1m 4m3 200

Resistance Welder .5mx.5m .125m3 50

Tube Mill 2mx2m 4m3 400

Stripper 2mx2m 4m3 200

Wire Mill 3mx2m 6m3 500

Mesh Expander 3mx1m 3m3 100

Press and Dies 4mx1m 4m3 200

Castings 4mx1m 5m3 250

Glass Cutter 2mx1m 2m3 100

Powder Coat Line 3mx3m 9m3 400

Galvanizing Tank 6mx1m 6m3 Locally Made

Electroplating Tank 6mx1m 6m3 Locally Made

CNC Lathe Mill Drill 5mx2m 20m3 1500

Laser or Water Cutter 6mx2m 12m3 500

Plasma Arc Cutter .5mx.5m .125m3 50kg

Rapid Prototyping Machine 1mx1m 2m3 100kg

6DOF Robot 1mx1m 2m3 250kg

Crane 3m radius 3m3 200kg

Heat Exchangers Annealing Furnace

5mx2m 1m3 100kg

Valving for CO2 Cooling .5mx.5m .25m3 200kg

Rollers(50mmRx3m) 3mx6m 3m3 500kg

Slitter

• May be used for making wire ribbon as well.

Cutting device

• Diamond Saw

• Cuts both steel and glass

Tubing Mill-Formers

• Rolls strips into a tube and welds.

• Tubing out can be rolled or cut in lengths.

Coiler/DeCoiler

• Roll and Unrolls Tubing, Strip, Wire, and Cable.

• 200kgs per unit

• ~1mx2m floorspace

Steel Mill Control Room

• For Context• Supervision of

Process– Video– Instruments– Visual

• Programming of new process

Powder Coat Oven

• Finished Products• Durable Epoxy

Coating• Can be used on Steel

and Aluminum