Metal plated additively manufactured plastic ACM housings with internal thermally adaptive structure

A method of forming a housing for an air cycle machine (ACM), the method comprising:

• forming a housing base having a plurality of discrete sections including:
• a first section that is adjacent to a seal of a compressor rotor when installed in the ACM;
• a second section that is fixed to a forward frame member when installed in the ACM;
• a third section that is adjacent to a bearing and sleeve disposed around a compressor rotor shaft when installed in the ACM,
• wherein forming the housing base includes:
• printing, layer by layer, the housing base, by printing first and second thermoplastic polymer surfaces, respectively from first and second thermoplastic polymers, that are disposed against each other, the first thermoplastic polymer surface having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and the second thermoplastic polymer surface having a second CTE;
• forming a lower support section on the housing base by printing, layer by layer, along the plurality of discrete sections of the housing base a mixture of a third thermoplastic polymer and a catalyst formed with metal;
• and
• forming an upper support section on the housing by depositing on the lower support section, along each of the discrete sections, via electrolysis deposition, a metallic coating, to thereby control thermal expansion and contraction of the housing along the plurality of discrete sections, to thereby make the housing.