{"id":39030,"date":"2022-06-30T18:35:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T16:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=39030"},"modified":"2025-03-10T10:54:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T09:54:15","slug":"the-use-additive-manufacturing-defense-sector300620224","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/the-use-additive-manufacturing-defense-sector300620224\/","title":{"rendered":"The Use of Additive Manufacturing in the Defense Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Additive manufacturing is widely used in many sectors including maritime<\/a>, aerospace, and automotive. It should come as no surprise then, that it is also being increasingly adopted by the defense sector worldwide. In fact, the military 3D printing sector is expected to be worth $1.7 billion by 2027, <\/span><\/span>showing the <\/span>importance<\/span> the technologies<\/span> have. Considering that in the military speed, lighter weights, and lower costs are all paramount, <\/span>additive manufacturing<\/span> certainly has a role to play. We took a closer look at some <\/span>of the<\/span> most interesting applications for additive manufacturing in the defense sector,<\/span>\u00a0listed below in no particular order.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Largest Metal 3D Printer Was Commissioned by the US Military<\/h3>\n

The U.S. military is so convinced of the benefits of additive <\/span>manufacturing that<\/span> last year, they announced that they would even be building the <\/span>world\u2019s largest<\/span> metal 3D printer. The U.S. DEVCOM Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center is working to build the printer with the help of ASTRO America, Ingersoll Machine Tool, Siemens, and MELD Manufacturing at Rock Island Arsenal \u2013 Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center. The printer will be part of the Jointless Hull Project with the end mission being to print <\/span>monolithic \u00a0(<\/span>one-piece) hulls for combat vehicles. When it was announced, it <\/span>was estimated<\/span> that the project would take around 14 months and the end printer would be capable of printing metal parts that are 30 feet long, 20 feet <\/span>wide, and<\/span> 12 feet high. <\/span>Though<\/span>\u00a0we have had no recent news on it, it is likely that the project will be finished in the near future. <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

\"additive

The development project of the largest metal 3D printer<\/p><\/div>\n

A 3D Printed Runway for the US Air Force<\/h3>\n

Another application in the military and defense sector comes from ITAMCO (Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies), which has developed a runway for military expeditionary airfields using additive manufacturing. These runway mats are an essential component of Expeditionary Airfields (EAF). Their function is to be implemented on weaker ground surfaces to allow military aircraft<\/a> to land and take off. Before that, a portable runway made of aluminum planks was used, but as it became outdated, the army needed to find an innovative solution. The M290 3D printer from the German company EOS was used to create a much lighter and more durable model for the U.S. Air Force’s military equipment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\"additive

The landing strip<\/p><\/div>\n

ExOne and Its Military Pods, an Innovative Application for Additive Manufacturing in Defense<\/h3>\n

With the goal of accelerating the development of strong and robust 3D printed factory pods, <\/span>ExOne<\/span> got involved in the realization of this task after working with several partners. Specifically, it involved a <\/span>Defense<\/span> Logistics Agency (DLA) contract, which was valued at $1.6 million. For the process, <\/span>ExOne’s<\/span> Binderjet<\/span> technology was used for military use due to its speed, flexibility of materials, and ease of use to best meet the critical needs of the military. The 3D printer, designed specifically for the military, is said to be capable of binder jetting more than 20 metal, ceramic and other powder materials – in addition, the unique housing and other features are said to make it perfect for a military-grade product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo credits: ExOne<\/p><\/div>\n

The U.S. Navy is Increasingly Turning to 3D Printed Tools<\/h3>\n

The U.S. Navy is also taking advantage of additive manufacturing. Marines have discovered the ability to produce innovative tools for their vehicle maintenance thanks to 3D printing. Specifically, this involves the Marine Corps System Command working with the Supply Battalion and industry partners to produce additively manufactured jigs for removing steering wheels from metal – a common problem that often needs to be solved in Navy vehicle maintenance! With the benefits of reduced maintenance time and increased readiness, additive manufacturing benefits greatly, especially considering that the actual wait time for such parts is around 25 days.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

\"additive

Photo credits: US Navy<\/p><\/div>\n

The U.S. Army’s Partnership With The University of South Florida<\/h3>\n

While the U.S. Army regularly collaborates with companies to slowly adopt technology, U.S. troops are also partnering with some universities. Recently, scientists from the University of Central Florida succeeded in 3D printing a magnesium alloy, called WE43. It is no coincidence that researchers have turned to this material. American soldiers are forced to carry extremely heavy bags and equipment, so it is now necessary to relieve them of this weight. And with the help of WE43 and the powder laser fusion process, the US Army and the University of Central Florida may have found the solution.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo credits: US Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory<\/p><\/div>\n

A Ship’s Propeller Made With Additive Manufacturing Shows Progress in the French Defense Sector<\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/h3>\n

For several years now, the renowned French company Naval Group has been using 3D printing to meet a variety of needs. In 2021, thanks to additive manufacturing and more specifically to the WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) process, Naval Group has 3D printed <\/span>a propeller<\/span>. Composed of five 200 kg blades, the propeller was then fitted to the Andromeda, a mine-hunting ship. The teams behind the project explain that by using the technology they have drastically reduced the construction time and minimized the <\/span>number<\/span> of materials used.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo credits: Naval Group<\/p><\/div>\n

The Spanish Air Force Upgrades Its Processes With 3D Printing<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Additive manufacturing provides properties of hardness, strength, and lightness in the manufactured parts. Thanks to internal fiber reinforcement, various tooling and final parts have been developed, capable of withstanding the demanding performance conditions required in a context where the components are very highly stressed, and where there can be no margin for error. In Madrid, the head of the Spanish Air Force’s helicopter workshop says that nowadays, for every part’s requirements, additive manufacturing is always valued and traditional manufacturing is avoided. Some of the parts worth mentioning are, for example, a leak control measuring tool for the helicopter’s landing gear or a customized key for the helicopter’s main rotor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"additive

The Spanish army also uses additive manufacturing<\/p><\/div>\n

General Lattice And Its Helmets For The U.S. Army<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

3D design software company General Lattice and the U.S. Army have signed a contract to improve the impact absorption of the Army’s combat helmet through 3D printing and advanced lattice geometries. For this project, the company developed a set of predictive modeling tools to design and generate materials for the helmet. To improve soldier protection in the field and the likelihood of survival after suffering a head impact, the 3D printed materials will be tested in real-world environments to validate the performance requirements of the Developmental Command Soldier Center.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

The helmet and its lattice structures (photo credits: General Lattice)<\/p><\/div>\n

Spare Parts in an Operational Armored Vehicle <\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Australian<\/a> Army has used metal additive manufacturing, and in particular, solutions developed by SPEE3D, in order to design a dozen spare parts for one of its armored vehicles. These parts have been tested and certified for use in the field and certified for field use, improving the agility of the Australian Army. Among the printed components include, for example, a wheel cover that was created in just 29 minutes, with an overall cost of 100 Australian dollars. The machine used in this case is the WarpSPEE3D, which has a print volume of 1000 x 700 mm and a <\/span>speed of <\/span>1 kilo per minute. By turning to additive manufacturing the army is able to reduce the downtime of its armored vehicles and thus better respond to emergency situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n