Additive Manufacture of RF Sources

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. (CCR), in collaboration with the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL) at N.C. State University, is investigating additive manufacture (AM), commonly referred to as 3-D printing, of RF sources. The goal is to dramatically reduce the cost of klystrons, traveling wave tubes, cross field amplifiers, and other vacuum electron devices. Typical high power klystrons are built from approximately 300 individually machined and fabricated parts, in addition to tens of machined subassemblies. The goal of this program is to reduce the number of parts by 80% and the number of subassemblies by 75%, with a corresponding decrease in cost.