The 3D printing method becomes growingly popular in space and it starts to be considered as an alternate manufacturing method these days. With growing number of materials, which can be 3D printed, number of applications for this method significantly increased. New possibility of printing temperature resistant plastics like PEEK gives opportunity to produce parts useful for space applications. There is a number of documented space application of 3D printed PEEK parts i.e. structures or antennas. Even if PEEK present good intrinsic properties related to space environment and good thermal stability, poor wear resistance and limited stiffness are limiting for applications like mechanical parts. The goal of the project is to develop new process of manufacturing PEEK-Metal composites to improve overall mechanical properties and surface properties of PEEK 3D printed parts. The new method combines 3D printing technique with electroforming or galvanoplastics process and surface engineering methods. The main added value of the project is use of the unique capabilities of each manufacturing method which was not reported yet. Flexibility of 3D printing will let to produce sophisticated, specially designed parts with a series of canals or mesh with open porosity, which becomes a structural reinforcement when filled through deposition of metal that will increase load capacity on one hand. On the other hand, metallic surface coating of 3D printed part for produced surface coatings. Manufacturing process will be supported by numerical simulations to determine best solution and dependence between PEEK matrix versus metallic reinforcement volume ratio, as well as its shape and reinforcement material type. According to available results, producing PEEK-Me composites can increase wear resistance, provide higher yield loads and higher heat deflection temperature and improve tensile strength of mechanical parts produced by 3D printing method with mass savings in comparison to metallic parts
