01
Domes & Bulkheads
Net-shape aluminum domes as an alternative to spin-formed or forged preforms.
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Aerospace & Space
LeapFast builds large net-shape aluminum structures for launch, space, and defense programs using Bobbin Friction Stir Deposition, a solid-state process developed by Zachary Courtright at NASA and now exclusively licensed to LeapFast. No forging die, no casting pattern, no melt pool.
Rocket stagesAirplane fuselage sectionsAstronaut backpack parts
Primary capability
Bobbin Friction Stir Deposition (B-FSD)
B-FSD was invented to bring the benefits of additive manufacturing to large aerospace and defense structures. It runs on existing friction stir welding equipment, so no new machine is needed to make your part. It is covered by US Patent 12,157,179 B1 and exclusively licensed from NASA.
What it brings
- Design flexibility
- Optimized performance
- Part consolidation
- Material savings
- Seamless multi-material structures
- Extremely high deposition rates
- Energy-efficient repair at the point of need
The problem
If Any Of These Is True, It Is Worth A Conversation.
01A forging on a multi-month lead time is gating the program schedule
02The die or tooling for a legacy part no longer exists
03Quantity is below the economic minimum a forge will quote
04High-strength 2xxx and 7xxx alloys crack under fusion welding
05Weight penalties from fasteners, flanges, and joints that could be integral
06Part count is driving assembly hours and inspection scope
Applications
What We Build for Aerospace & Space
02
Rings & Barrel Joints
Seamless deposited rings replacing rolled-ring forgings, above and below die capacity.
03
Cryogenic Tanks
Monolithic structures without a longitudinal seam; proven cryogenic performance.
04
Repair & Feature Add
Restoring or adding to existing aluminum structures, including at remote sites.
Also for aerospace programs
Beyond the Primary Capability
Friction Stir Welding
Leak-tight, high-strength joints qualified to AWS D17.3, the specification LeapFast helped author. Standard on flight hardware for a reason: long fatigue life, minimal distortion, proven cryogenic service.
In-Space Manufacturing
LeapFast's CEO managed NASA's In-Space Manufacturing portfolio. A process that needs no furnace, no die, and no supply chain behind it is the process that eventually works off Earth.
Why us
What Stands Behind the Claim
- Invented at NASA
- B-FSD was developed by Zachary Courtright at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and is now exclusively licensed to LeapFast.
- Ten Years at NASA
- Welding engineer and In-Space Manufacturing portfolio manager, qualifying FSW procedures and building production flight hardware.
- AWS D17.3/4
- LeapFast qualifies friction stir welding procedures to AWS D17.3/4 and to NASA specifications.
- AS9100
- In progress.
Questions
Straight Answers
Do We Need to Buy Any Equipment?
No. You send us a drawing, we manufacture the part, and we send it back. LeapFast does not sell machines.
Can B-FSD Replace a Forging on a Qualified Program?
That is the primary application for large aluminum rings, domes, and cylinders. Qualification starts with a paid feasibility study and a first-article plan written to your specification.
Next step
Send Us the Part That Is Holding Up Your Program.
A drawing, a STEP file, or a sketch and a size is enough. We reply within 3 business days, including when the answer is no.
contact@leapfast.com
(330) 242-6951
252 W Boardman St, Youngstown, OH 44503