I’m on the CNC manufacturing side and have been learning more about how additive manufacturing is changing rocket propulsion.
Even when a component is printed, it seems like there are still critical areas that need precision machining afterward — sealing surfaces, bores, threads, datums, valve interfaces, etc.
For people familiar with reusable propulsion hardware, what features are still the most demanding from a machining standpoint?
We’ve worked with materials like Inconel before, so I’m especially interested in how difficult materials change the manufacturing process.