Want to speak at AMA: Energy 2025 or AMA: Automotive & Mobility 2025? Submit your application now!
UK-based fusion company First Light Fusion has partnered with Irish medical device manufacturer Croom Medical to produce tantalum components for its high-pressure fusion hardware using additive manufacturing.
These 3D printed parts have been shown to match the performance of conventionally machined components under shock compression of up to 437 GPa. Published in the Journal of Applied Physics, the findings confirm that the additively manufactured tantalum meets the extreme performance demands of First Light’s inertial fusion systems and could help streamline production of its Pressure Amplifier devices.
Naturally, tantalum is a high-strength, high-melting-point metal commonly used in defense, aerospace, and energy applications. However, its ductility and tendency to become harder and more resistant during shaping make it difficult to machine, adding both time and cost to traditional manufacturing processes.
According to Martin Gorman, Lead Shock Scientist at First Light Fusion, “3D printing tantalum gives us a reliable, cost-effective path to mass-produce our amplifiers, unlocking wide-ranging applications from materials research to defence.” However, verifying its suitability for extreme high-pressure environments required rigorous testing.
Shock testing confirms material performance
To evaluate performance, researchers conducted symmetric impact experiments on both 3D printed and conventionally wrought tantalum samples using a two-stage light-gas gun at First Light Fusion’s Oxford facility. Projectile velocities reached up to 6.7 km/s, and Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) was used to track particle velocity and shock transit time, critical data for determining the material’s equation of state (EOS).
The additively manufactured samples were produced by Croom Medical using its TALOS laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process, which is optimized for refractory metals like tantalum. These samples achieved 99.94 ± 0.11% density and exhibited the columnar grain structure typical of LPBF methods. In contrast, the wrought tantalum samples, used for comparison, were expected to show equiaxed grains formed during annealing.
Despite these microstructural differences, the shock response of the 3D printed tantalum was found to be indistinguishable from that of the wrought samples across a pressure range of 124 to 437 GPa, including conditions exceeding tantalum’s known shock melting point.
Measurements were consistent across multiple tests using both absolute Hugoniot methods and impedance matching with lithium fluoride (LiF) standards. One initial discrepancy, caused by vacuum chamber effects, was resolved through hydrodynamic modeling.
With these results, First Light Fusion now has the validation needed to adopt additive manufacturing for its Pressure Amplifier components. These parts are designed to amplify the pressure delivered to fusion targets and are central to the company’s inertial fusion approach. Transitioning to 3D printing is expected to enable faster, more scalable production while also reducing material waste.
The company has already begun integrated testing of fully 3D printed amplifier units using its light-gas gun infrastructure. Results from these tests are expected to be published in the coming months.
Additive methods support fusion initiatives
Additive manufacturing is rapidly becoming an important strategy among fusion developments looking to tackle material complexity, production speed, and extreme performance demands.
Recently, UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) partnered with engineering equipment supplier Kingsbury and metal AM company Additure to advance fusion energy research through additive manufacturing.
Central to the initiative is the installation of a Nikon SLM Solutions SLM 280 2.0 LPBF system at UKAEA’s facility, enabling the production of fusion reactor components using challenging materials like tungsten layered with copper. The system offers faster build speeds and advanced safety features. Additure will also provide technical training to UKAEA’s teams, focusing on machine setup, build optimization, and design strategies tailored to additive manufacturing of high-performance, thermally resilient components.
Elsewhere, Italian energy research agency ENEA partnered with Laser Nanophotonics Group at Vilnius University to demonstrate how finely structured, additively manufactured log-pile foams respond to high-power nanosecond laser pulses relevant to inertial confinement fusion (ICF).
Using ENEA’s 40 J ABC Nd:glass laser and full 3D simulations, the team observed how these microscopic lattices heat up, erode, and scatter light when struck by focused 5-nanosecond pulses. The measured erosion speeds matched simulation predictions, confirming the accuracy of their models. The study highlights how precise 3D printing and advanced simulation tools can work together to support the design of future fusion energy targets.
What 3D printing trends should you watch out for in 2025?
How is the future of 3D printing shaping up?
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook.
While you’re here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.
Featured image shows tantalum components manufactured using Croom Medical’s TALOS additive manufacturing platform. Photo via Croom Medical.
