PEEK injection-molded structures for small satellites as well as shape memory actuators based on nickel-titanium alloys
Lamb Space Tec GmbH
Heiligenhaus (Headquarters)New on Amplifa
About Lamb Space Tec
Lamb Space Tec GmbH in Heiligenhaus develops and manufactures satellite structures and components made from the high-performance polymer PEEK using plastic injection molding. In doing so, the company replaces the previously common CNC-milled aluminum production with manual assembly with an injection-molding-based process that makes series production for small satellites and mega-constellations economically viable. A further product field is shape memory actuators (SMA) made from nickel-titanium alloys for locking and unlocking tasks, which are developed as standard products FG-ONE, FG-FLEX and FG-Valve as well as customized in accordance with VDI 2248. The service portfolio includes design, tool engineering, 3D printing for prototypes and small series, product development and testing, as well as assembly, surface finishing, packaging and logistics from a single source. Customer industries are aerospace (CubeSats), automotive, building services and agriculture.
- Site
- Heiligenhaus
- Processes
- Injection molding (plastic injection molding), 3D printing / additive manufacturing (samples, prototypes, small series), Design and development of plastic injection-molded products, Project management and project development (CAD, simulation), Product development and testing incl. tool construction (injection molds), prototype building,, Manufacture of shape memory actuators (SMA actuators, FG-ONE, FG-FLEX, FG-Valve), series development, Heat treatment/annealing for shaping SMA wires (shape memory imprinting), Design and engineering (plastic injection molding)
- Materials
- PEEK, Nickel-titanium alloy (NiTi, shape memory alloy), Aluminum, PEEK (high-performance polymer), Nickel-titanium alloy (shape memory alloy)
- Certificates
- Industrial quality standards (injection molding), Product testing during development
- Industries
- Aerospace / Small satellites (CubeSats), Automotive, Building services, Agriculture
- 01
Design and Engineering (CAD, Simulation)
- 02
Product development and testing incl. tool design
- 03
3D printing of prototypes and small series
- 04
Plastic injection molding
- 05
Assembly of assemblies and surface finishing
- 06
Labeling, packaging and logistics
Materials and Processes
PEEK (high-performance polymer)
Space-qualified material for injection-molded CubeSat structures with lower mass, better corrosion resistance and a lower CO2 footprint than aluminum.
Nickel-titanium alloy (shape memory alloy)
Base material of the SMA actuators; the initial shape is imparted by annealing, corrosion-resistant in automotive, building services and agriculture.
Aluminum
Previous reference material for satellite structures, which is being replaced by PEEK injection molding.
Locations
Heiligenhaus
DEHeadquarters with development and injection molding production
- Lot size
- Prototypes, small, medium and large series (SMA actuators)
- Materials
- PEEK, nickel-titanium, plastics
- Modern injection molding systems
- 3D printing systems
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection molding (plastic injection molding)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PEEK, space-qualified high-performance polymers |
| 3D printing / additive manufacturing (samples, prototypes, small series)Additive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Design and development of plastic injection-molded productsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Project management and project development (CAD, simulation)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Product development and testing incl. tool construction (injection molds), prototype building,Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of shape memory actuators (SMA actuators, FG-ONE, FG-FLEX, FG-Valve), series developmentAssembly | – | – | – | – | NiTi (nickel-titanium alloy, shape memory alloy) |
| Heat treatment/annealing for shaping SMA wires (shape memory imprinting)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | NiTi |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modern injection molding systems | – | – | – | – | Heiligenhaus |
Additional services
Quality
The CubeSat structures are manufactured to industrial quality standards on modern injection molding systems; product development includes an in-house inspection and test phase.
| Evidence | Heiligenhaus |
|---|---|
| Industrial quality standards (injection molding) | |
| Product testing during development |