Caracol Partners with Additive Engineering Solutions for Aerospace and Defense

The aerospace and defense industry is increasingly turning toward additive manufacturing because the technology can offer custom, highly optimized solutions for complex applications. Due to the growing demand, more and more partnerships are emerging between different companies, with the aim of further technological development. Now, Caracol and Additive Engineering Solutions (AES) have partnered to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing in the aerospace and defense sectors. The Italian American company Caracol is a leader in large-format robotic industrial additive manufacturing (LFAM), while U.S.-based AES is positioned as a global provider of large-format 3D printing services, especially for demanding industries such as aerospace.

Specifically, AES specializes in full-scale aerospace and defense industry composite tooling and engineering prototypes for both OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It was established in 2015 and over time has specialized in large-format 3D printing using advanced equipment. The company has achieved AS9100 quality management system certification and compliance with NIST cybersecurity standards, positioning it as an ideal partner for Caracol in the United States.

In recent years, Caracol has established its position internationally and in the US in particular. It recently launched the Vipra AM 3D directed energy deposition (DED) system, which joins the Heron robotic system for polymers. The company, based near Milan, is the first LFAM company in Europe to have its own AS9100-certified production facility.

“We are very happy for this strategic partnership with AES. Their know-how and experience in developing cutting-edge applications for the Aerospace & Defense industry, perfectly matches Caracol’s DNA in developing application-driven integrated turnkey HW/SW technological platforms,”  Francesco De Stefano, CEO and co-founder of Caracol, said.

The partnership between AES and Caracol will greatly benefit the international aerospace and defense industry. Notably, AES will be able to take advantage of Heron AM, Caracol’s LFAM robotic platform. For Caracol, the partnership with AES represents a first step toward U.S. defense projects, by providing turnkey solutions combining advanced hardware and software. The flexibility of the Caracol system will allow AES to be more versatile by making its solutions compatible with ABB, KUKA and FANUC robotic arms. With the combination of its technologies, the two companies aim to optimize material use, cost and production time.

Progress for AM in Aerospace

Over the past decade, AES has invested heavily in the design and creation of parts for aerospace, gaining more and more industry experience. Austin Schmidt, president and co-founder of AES, says of the collaboration, “Aside from expanding our reach in this industry, Caracol’s offering of both turnkey polymer and metallic robotic platforms is of interest to AES as we continue to evolve in the LFAM market.” Through this collaboration, the two companies will push technological limits even further, responding to increasingly complex challenges and contributing to the growth of an ever-evolving industry.

To learn more about the partnership, read Caracol’s press release here.

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*All Photo Credits: Caracol