{"id":65853,"date":"2025-08-01T16:05:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T14:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=65853"},"modified":"2025-08-01T17:18:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T15:18:24","slug":"us-army-retrofits-detroit-arsenal-building-with-3d-printed-panels-0108202501","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/us-army-retrofits-detroit-arsenal-building-with-3d-printed-panels-0108202501\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Army Retrofits Detroit Arsenal Building with 3D Printed Panels"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new collaborative pilot project at the U.S Army\u2019s Detroit Arsenal, located in Warren, Michigan, is set to showcase how large-scale 3D printing can be utilized to upgrade aging infrastructure with minimal disruptions. The project will bring together the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Ameresco, and Branch Technology to retrofit the 1940-era building using robot-printed insulation panels.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the project will target Building 25 of the Arsenal, which is around 16,250 square feet and currently suffers from outdated insulation and inefficient thermal performance. The U.S Army stated in a press release that by adding new 3D printed exterior panels<\/a>, they will be able to reduce the building\u2019s heating and cooling load by nearly 65%. The project will also be a cost-saving measure by reducing the load on the current HVAC system.<\/p>\n

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An example of Branch Technology’s Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab\u00ae) Process for design, printing, and application. (Credit: Branch Technology)<\/p><\/div>\n

Unlike other traditional retrofit methods, which often have extensive interior modifications or demolition, Branch Technology announced that it will utilize off-site fabrication and on-site installation. The company plans to use precision laser scans<\/a> to ensure each panel is tailored to the building’s surface. Afterwards, the company will print each panel using their C-Fab system, a large-scale robotic extrusion process that will create fiber-reinforced polymer lattice<\/a> structures. These eight-inch panels will then be filled with cellulose foam and installed as a new high-performance envelope on the building.<\/p>

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What is unique about this project is how non-invasive and cost-effective it will be for the U.S Army. This is appealing for federal buildings that require minimal interruption or heavy-duty renovation. The insulated panels will bring the structure to an estimated R-value of 50, a level well above the current standard construction rate and rarely achieved through retrofitting. Jason Vass, Vice President of Clean Technology at Ameresco, stated, \u201cThis project highlights the role additive manufacturing<\/a> can play in enhancing energy performance without major disruption. It\u2019s a model for how we might approach hundreds of similar upgrades across the military and beyond.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An

An aerial view of the Detroit Arsenal, where 3D printed panels will be installed by 2027. (Credit: Google Earth)<\/p><\/div>\n

The project is to be funded by the Department of Defense\u2019s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), and may serve as an example for future applications across other federal buildings. A test installation is already underway at the NREL in Colorado, with the finalized project at Detroit Arsenal to be completed by 2027. Given recent budget constraints, public agencies continue to seek out scalable low-carbon solutions for their aging infrastructure. The fabricated panels at Detroit Arsenal could become a key part of the national strategy, ultimately combining efficiency, speed, and innovation through 3D printing.<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on these panels being installed at Detroit Arsenal? How do you see 3D printing serving a greater role in reducing energy consumption and heat loss? Let us know in a comment below or on our\u00a0LinkedIn<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>pages! Plus, don\u2019t forget to sign up for our free weekly\u00a0<\/span>Newsletter<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to get the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox. You can also find all our videos on our\u00a0<\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/span>\u00a0For more 3D printing news in the aerospace and defense sectors, check out our dedicated page\u00a0HERE<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

*Cover Photo Credits: U.S Army\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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A new collaborative pilot project at the U.S Army\u2019s Detroit Arsenal, located in Warren, Michigan, is set to showcase how large-scale 3D printing can be utilized to upgrade aging infrastructure with minimal disruptions. The project will bring together the National…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6118,"featured_media":65854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[120,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aerospace","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65853"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65893,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65853\/revisions\/65893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}