A feeding mechanism is developed to stock raw material in a sealed tank and to spread it on the printing area during the sintering process. Because of the abrasive property of the regolith, proper deposition of the powder can be difficult to control. The thickness of each layer can be regulated through the number of auger screws.
A verification process was carried out, based on parameters set for material leak (when machine is idle), flowability (of regolith simulant), sufficiency of spread and thickness of deposited material. Different tests measured auger geometry and speed. Feedback from this testing campaign allow SAS to advance design methodologies for the RegoLight feeder mechanism.
Photo: Regolith feeder by Space Applications