Brackets are the load-bearing components in a satellite. The current age of satellites comprises specific brackets that set out as a link between the bodies of the satellite, reflector parts, and feeder facilities mounted at its upper end. Brackets are used to carry loads of the satellite body frame, supporting elements, batteries, and electronic goods. The article explicates the various brackets used in satellites and aircrafts. The strength of the bracket is of utmost importance since it is an important load supporting member in several assemblies of aircraft and satellites. In addition to the mechanical strength, the weight of the bracket is a major concern as it adds to the total weight of the aircraft and satellite. Thus, weight savings of brackets can be of paramount importance and Additive Manufacturing (AM) is found as an overall solution to achieve the same. Hence, in addition to various brackets used in satellites, the article presents an exhaustive review of the processing of various advanced functional materials using various AM techniques to make high strength-to-weight ratio satellite brackets. The use of DFAM by various satellite manufacturers globally for optimizing the structure of the brackets resulting in a significant weight saving of the brackets is also presented in the article.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has proven to be the preferred process over traditional processes in a wide range of industries. This review article focused on the progressive development of aero-turbine blades from conventional manufacturing processes to the additive manufacturing process. AM is known as a 3D printing process involving rapid prototyping and a layer-by-layer construction process that can develop a turbine blade with a wide variety of options to modify the turbine blade design and reduce the cost and weight compared to the conventional production mode. This article describes various AM techniques suitable for manufacturing high-temperature turbine blades such as selective laser melting, selective laser sintering, electron beam melting, laser engineering net shaping, and electron beam free form fabrication. The associated parameters of AM such as particle size and shape, powder bed density, residual stresses, porosity, and roughness are discussed here.

To increase the productivity and quality of the machined components, wire electro-discharge machine parameters such as cutting speed, kerf width, and surface roughness are often optimized. The Wire-electro discharge machining process generates a much higher temperature at the wire-work piece interface which can potentially change the metallurgical characteristics of the machined surface. This paper studies the changes in the tribology of surface and sub-surface of the workpiece due to the initial and optimized wire-electro discharge machine parametric setting using grey relational analysis while machining sub-cooled AISI P20 tool steel. It is concluded that the optimum parametric setting to obtain a better cutting speed, kerf width, and surface roughness using grey relational analysis, which improves the productivity and quality of the component, also produces a thicker recast layer. The wear test revealed that the surface machined with an optimized parametric setting gives higher wear resistance. Detailed scanning electron microscopy explains the characteristics of the recast layer and micro-hardness explains the surface hardenability of tool steel, which is a result of martensitic transformation through rapid cooling, formed heat affected zone, and increase in oxygen content on the surface. The wear test proved that the recast layer helps in improving the wear resistivity of tool steel. The methodology of the hardening of the surface and the sub-surface layer can strengthen the application of components.

Aluminum alloy-based surface composites have been in numerous applications since the introduction of the Friction Stir Processing (FSP) method to develop multifunctional properties owing to its ease of use and control in process parameters to obtain desired properties. AA6061-T651 is used as a substitute for AA6082 in structural applications due to its higher strength in comparison. To further improve the surface properties of AA6061, the friction stir processing technique was employed to reinforce Boron Carbide (B₄C) particles by the Blind-Hole method. To achieve uniformity in distribution, FSP with a different direction strategy has been adopted. The surfaces thus developed were characterized using Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. The grain size measurement was made on the processed samples using Heyn lineal intercept method. Tension and microhardness tests were also conducted to study the change in mechanical properties. The dark carbide zones with clear boundaries were identified in single pass processed specimens. Uniformity in the B₄C distribution was observed on the dual-pass surface. In addition, Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) results have shown the presence of B₄C embedded regions in the nugget zones along with the AA6061 matrix. Higher ultimate tensile strength was observed with the single-pass processed surface by 11% than the dual-pass processed surface.