Rocketry / Space Exploration

Over the years, TURBOCAM has made pump impellers that keep the Space Station habitable, rocket turbopumps that take payloads into space and others that maneuver spacecraft into useful orbits. Accuracy in machining is critical in the manufacturing of components for these mission-critical applications. Parts are measured on the machine soon after machining, and can be re-cut if necessary to achieve the desired profile. Temperature monitoring, calibration, and maintenance of equipment all contribute to critical process control. Reliability is enhanced by power conditioning and a unique set of controls that have been developed to protect machines during the long hours that have to be spent on profiling blade surfaces. Failure modes are addressed in hardware and software.

Experience is also central to the application of manufacturing technology for rocketry and space exploration hardware. Machines can be bought, cutter paths can be programmed, and optimism can be boundless, but it takes dedicated and experienced technicians and machinists working closely together to manufacture the components upon which lives will depend. That is the reason why leading engine companies come to TURBOCAM for critical rotating parts.

TURBOCAM has experience in Inconel 625®, Inconel 718®, Waspaloy®, and other high nickel alloys, Titanium 6-2-4-2, and Ti-17, as well as in more common alloys of titanium, stainless steel and aluminum, achieving the exacting standards that are typical of the industry.

TURBOCAM offers:

• Hirth, curvic or polygon couplings
• Inertia-welded shafts
• Metallurgical experience and testing of stainless steels, titanium and aluminum, both wrought and forged
• Balancing and overspeed testing
• Statistical Process Control and superior quality management
• Open and integrally-shrouded impellers, and partially-integrally shrouded (patent pending) impellers
• TX1 metal protection for high wear and FOD environments
• Experience in managing quality of copper and nickel brazing (by vendors)
• Non-destructive testing of brazed and welded joints

Photo Gallery

While we would love to highlight our best and most current work in the rocketry industry, almost all of the parts we manufacture prohibit the use of photography due to export control regulations or other confidentiality agreements. We hope that the following sampling effectively conveys our world-class capabilities and the superior quality of our workmanship.