3D printing in defence industry

The Best Uses for Additive Manufacturing in Defense

Published on June 30, 2022 by Clemens M.

Additive manufacturing is widely used in many sectors including maritime, 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, showing the importance the technologies have. Considering that in the military speed, lighter weights, and lower costs are all paramount, additive manufacturing certainly has a role to play. We took a closer look at some of the most interesting applications for additive manufacturing in the defense sector, listed below in no particular order.

The Largest Metal 3D Printer Was Commissioned by the US Military

The U.S. military is so convinced of the benefits of additive manufacturing that last year, they announced that they would even be building the world’s largest 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 – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center. The printer will be part of the Jointless Hull Project with the end mission being to print monolithic (one-piece) hulls for combat vehicles. When it was announced, it was estimated 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 wide, and 12 feet high. Though we have had no recent news on it, it is likely that the project will be finished in the near future.

A 3D Printed Runway for the US Air Force

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 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 Before that, a portable runway made of aluminum planks was used, but as it became outdated, the army needed to find an innovative solution.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.

ExOne and Its Military Pods, an Innovative Application for Additive Manufacturing in Defense

With the goal of accelerating the development of strong and robust 3D printed factory pods, ExOne got involved in the realization of this task after working with several partners. Specifically, it involved a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contract, which was valued at $1.6 million. For the process, ExOne’s Binderjet 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.

The U.S. Navy is Increasingly Turning to 3D Printed Tools

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.

The U.S. Army’s Partnership With The University of South Florida

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.

A Ship’s Propeller Made With Additive Manufacturing Shows Progress in the French Defense Sector

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 a propeller. 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 number of materials used.

The Spanish Air Force Upgrades Its Processes With 3D Printing

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.

General Lattice And Its Helmets For The U.S. Army

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.

Spare Parts in an Operational Armored Vehicle

The Australian 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 speed of 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.

The U.S. Navy and Additive Manufacturing for the Defense Sector

The U.S. Navy has been conducting several additive manufacturing projects for many years now. The goal is to improve the agility and efficiency of the teams going on missions in the middle of the ocean, especially when it comes to manufacturing spare parts. That’s why the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) invested in Xerox’s ElemX metal machine. It uses it to design spare parts for its submarines and ships, as well as tooling. This allows the company to have a much shorter supply chain and to manufacture custom components. NPS is not alone in launching 3D printing projects in the maritime field. Indeed, the company MatterHackers has signed a 5-year contract with the US Navy to provide all the 3D equipment it would need, as well as training sessions and maintenance. MatterHackers helped the Navy deploy Ultimaker S5 3D printers to design custom parts and other applications.

The Future Energetics Project, 3D Printing in the UK Defense Sector

The Future Energetics Project from the UK works in the areas of research, explosives testing, novel energetics fabrication, explosion modeling, chemical synthesis, thermal characterization, and hazard testing. The goals of the project are to create new energetic materials and diagnostic methods to validate new materials. Additive manufacturing will be used to develop new explosive formulations. This offers numerous benefits to potential users, including reduced storage and transportation costs and improved performance. Charges can be precisely tailored to requirements and manufactured in novel and intricate designs, which would have been unthinkable before. The manufacturing process uses a LabRAM resonant acoustic mixer, which uses acoustic energy instead of physical blades to mix materials, making the process safer. The 3D printing project is currently still in the testing phase.

Astro America Has Developed a 3D-Printed Combat Vehicle Hull

The Applied Science & Technology Research Organization, also known as ASTRO America, has been selected by the U.S. Army for the Jointless Hull Project. This program is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense’s beneficiary Institute for Manufacturing Innovation and is part of an effort to use 3D printing to develop and deliver a hull tool for combat vehicles. They hope to reduce manufacturing time and lower production costs while reducing the weight of the vehicle and increasing its performance and survivability.

3D Printed Barracks Helps the US Military Create Sturdy Lodging Anywhere

The 3D construction company ICON is already known for doing projects involving the military. For this particular one, the Austin-based company partnered with the Texas Military Department, Logan Architecture, and Fort Structures to create the largest 3D-printed structure in North America: training barracks at the Camp Swift Training Center in Bastrop, Texas. Using ICON’s Vulcan construction system, which is a tablet-operated robotic printer that works with cement-based material, the collaboration of companies and the military managed to build the first 3D-printed barracks for soldiers to live in. The final construction consists of a 3,800 sq.-ft building that is able to shelter up to 72 soldiers or airmen and prepare for their next missions!

3D Printed Submarine Hull, Taking Additive Manufacturing Undersea for Better Defense

Over the years, the defense sector found ways to apply 3D printing in many areas – On the ground, in the air, and at sea. With this latest project, the US army is literally diving into a 3D printing relatively unknown area: Under the sea. For this new endeavor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) partnered with the U.S. Navy’s Disruptive Technology Lab to help create a 3D-printed submarine hull, the first in military history. By using ORNL’s FDM Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) technology, the team produced a 30-foot concept hull with 6 carbon fiber composite material sections, which was produced faster and cheaper than it would have been using traditional manufacturing methods. Although still in testing, the signs are good that there will be more 3D-printed submarines diving through the oceans soon.

What do you think of these examples of applications for additive manufacturing in the defense sector? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

How 3D printing is shaping the defence sector

The first 3D-printed office in Dubai took 17 days to print and was installed on site in merely two days. This was evidently faster than the time it typically takes to build standalone structures using traditional construction methods. The 3D-printing technique cut both building and labour costs by 50 per cent compared to conventional buildings of similar size. These savings translate into enhanced productivity, higher economic returns and increased sustainability.

Defence manufacturers have also been quick to adopt 3D printing. While the hardware has existed for years, the evolution of technology has driven its development from concept to reality across many industries in the UAE.

Commonly referred to in the defence sector as additive manufacturing, 3D printing creates an object from a digital design by overlapping thin layers of a particular substance into a precise shape. Each layer can be very complex, meaning 3D printers can create sections designed to move, such as hinges and wheels, as part of the same object. Limitations to the technology, such as restrictions on materials, are also diminishing.

This has prompted several industries to embrace additive manufacturing for everyday operations, including, for example, automotive – making hybrid cars, and healthcare – replacing broken limbs and tissue in the human body. Today, 3D printers are also being used to manufacture aeropace components – to print parts for a prototype of the satellite named MBZ-Sat – and achieve greater precision and finer resolution at higher speeds and lower costs.

This has the potential to change the way we look at making a product

Considering that less than a decade ago, a 3D printer could only produce the most rudimentary objects, this is a cause for optimism as to what additive manufacturing will mean for the future of the defence industry.

Dr Gavin Spence examines Talal Sawaf's leg, fitted with a 3D printed surgical jig, on 14 September, 2021. Pawan Singh/The National. Full story: https://bit.ly/3HVJ33B

Traditional manufacturing methods include computer numerical control machining, or a computer-aided, high-accuracy manufacturing process. In contrast to 3D printing, CNC machining is a form of subtractive manufacturing, where solid pieces of raw material are carved into a desired shape and size using a controlled material removal process. As the name implies, the subtractive process begins with a block of material, and that material is cut away until the design is achieved. In the case of 3D printing, you start with nothing, and build on the object using only the amount of material required, which results in substantial cost savings.

A CNC machine at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, on April 28, 2021. AP

In the coming years, 3D printing will be fully integrated with traditional manufacturing and will be a mainstream element of most assembly lines. Faster, more robust 3D printers that create consistent high-quality output will power large-scale production on par with traditional techniques. The advantages of 3D printing over other manufacturing technologies are vast and lead to profound changes in the way products are designed and developed.

For equipment manufacturers, 3D printing offers an inexpensive option of producing prototypes of complicated components to ensure they fit into the design before CNC machining. The ability to create prototypes without tooling also allows companies to quickly test multiple configurations in order to determine customer preferences, thereby reducing product risk and the time it takes to place the finished product on the market.

The first prototype is rarely what the product design process ends with. Most products go through an extensive process of testing and re-examination before the designs are finalised. Bearing these constraints in mind, 3D printing is the most effective way to speed up this process. The stages of testing, changing and refining a design could otherwise take weeks, or even months, under a more traditional prototyping model. Now it can be reduced to a matter of days.

Thus, 3D printing is at the core of our on-demand, highly customised economy, changing the way we approach design, inventory and logistics. In a combat zone without existing parts inventory, replacement parts can be manufactured on site in near-real time. Manufacturers can deliver weapons systems faster while simultaneously improving design.

Fleets of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles can extend their range and payload capabilities while their obsolescent parts are re-engineered, printed and returned to combat in a matter of days or even hours. But let’s think bigger: 3D printers will also add versatility in other ways. They will be able to print one object containing multiple materials – including metal, ceramics, concrete and plastics, on the same machine, even – paving the way for a much wider field of use.

There are several companies that focus on using 3D printing as the sole method of production. It is hard to predict just how big an impact 3D printing will have in the long run. In simple terms, this is a technology that has the potential to change the way we look at making a product. Clearly, additive manufacturing has the potential to revolutionise not only defence but all industries.

Published: February 18, 2022, 9:00 AM

3D printers in military service - big overview

Overview: 3D printers in military service.

Source: https://all3dp.com/

The military industry has always been at the forefront of progress: many inventions either began their life as military or dual-use products, or, in the very first years after their appearance, were involved in this area . In this age of digital technology, this fate has not escaped 3D printing.

3D printers are actively used by military contractors and direct employees of all branches of the military.
In this article, we will talk about the use of 3D printing in the military-industrial complex around the world: from providing military equipment with spare parts, to operational printing of drones and buildings anywhere in the world.

In Russia,

JSC "Federal Research and Production Center "Titan-Barricades", which develops missile systems and military vehicles, has bought and uses in prototyping a kit based on an XJRP SPS450B 3D printer. The kit consists of two devices: directly a 3D printer with a large print area, working on SLA technology, and a polymer curing chamber.


XJRP SPS450B 3D Prototyping Kit.
Source: http://pechat3d.ru/

The 3D printer is planned to be used to create miniatures of future parts, cases or mechanism assemblies. The first product made on this 3D printer was a prototype wheel with a tread.

Ilyushin specialists plan to produce some simple parts for the Il-112V military transport aircraft using 3D printing.


Model of the Il-112V transport aircraft.
Source: © ITAR-TASS

Together with specialists from the Voronezh Aircraft Plant (VASO), PJSC Il specialists use 3D-printed parts as test samples, which will be replaced with originals made by the classical method before departure. But in the future, it is planned to master the printing of simple components that will be installed on mass-produced aircraft.

Pavel Chernikov, First Deputy General Director of PJSC Il, said: “The IL-112V is being created from scratch, and many parts and components need to be improved during installation on the aircraft. We started using a 3D printer to see how right or wrong our calculations were. Such technologies make it possible not to interrupt the finalization of finished products, which, in turn, significantly reduces the installation time of equipment and reduces the cost of the production process.”

Research and Production Corporation "Uralvagonzavod" named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky purchased a 3D printer S-Max manufactured by ExOne.


ExOne S-Max 3D printer.
Source: http://3dtoday.ru/

This printer is designed for making sand molds. Molds are used for casting metal blanks. As the deputy chief metallurgist of NPK Uralvagonzavod said: “We will no longer have to manufacture expensive foundry equipment for experimental, new products and complex castings of small series. It will be enough for a designer to develop a 3D model of the required casting, according to which, also in 3D, the mold is made. The finished cores will go to the foundry. In addition, they can be transported to solve the problems of the corporation over any distance."


A sand mold produced by the S-Max 3D printer, used for casting metal blanks.
Source: http://3dtoday.ru/

This is not the first professional 3D printing system that Uralvagonzavod uses. In 2015, the company purchased a Fortus 400mc 3D printer manufactured by Stratasys Corporation. This printer is used in the production of parts for the T-14 "Armata" tank and other vehicles manufactured by Uralvagonzavod.


Tank T-14 ("Object 148") on the platform "Armata".
Source: OAO NPK Uralvagonzavod

Representatives of the enterprise note that the introduction of 3D printing saves time and production resources. It is not required to spend forces on turning metal samples. If a part doesn't fit, it's easier to reprint it than remake it.

Russian Helicopters Holding, according to its CEO Andrey Boginsky, plans to 3D print about a hundred parts for rotorcraft by 2020.


Andrey Boginsky.
Source: © Yuri Smityuk/TASS

In 2018-2019, it is planned to conduct a series of bench tests in order to obtain all the necessary certificates for printed parts by mid-2020. In total, it is planned to test about a hundred parts and assemblies.

Compared to traditional parts, 3D-printed parts are lighter and their production will be deployed at the Kazan Helicopter Plant. As a result of the use of parts obtained by 3D printing, the holding plans to reduce the cost of products.

In the world

The road of army 3D printing is not paved with roses. When we hear about cool 3D printed military projects, we have to consider some of the challenges that come with doing them.


Soldiers get acquainted with FORTUS.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Quality certification problem. Many things that the army is supposed to produce using 3D printing are designed for harsh operating conditions, they are subject to high requirements for compliance with dimensions, geometry and quality, and an unsuccessfully printed part can lead not only to monetary losses, but also to the death of soldiers . This issue will most likely be resolved by certification of the 3D printers themselves.

Insufficient printing speed for the army. Even the most expensive 3D printer is not fast enough. There are also issues of privacy/security, copyright, and many other little things that are not obvious at first glance.

While these issues are being addressed, the US Department of the Navy has decided to host a 3D printing hackathon. 12 organizations were invited to participate, which showed their developments in the field of 3D printing for the Navy. According to the participants, fully or partially printed inventions: “Allow to improve the ability to maintain combat readiness.”

One of the new and memorable developments was the four-legged transporter robot (MeRlin). It turned out to be quite compact and can run, jump and walk up and down stairs. Three-dimensional printing made it possible to create, right in the supporting frame of the robot, a hydraulic manifold that serves to transfer energy to the robot drives. Those interested in robotics will find Merlin similar to the transport robots of Boston Dynamics.


The device of the robot MERLIN (Merlin).
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Aviation

A 3D-printed drone was launched from one of the British Royal Navy ships at sea, HMS Mersey. The device was created in collaboration with the University of Southampton.


Launch of a 3D printed drone.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Body made of nylon, laser sintered. With a wingspan of one and a half meters, the drone weighs only three kilograms. The main task of this project was to create a small drone for exploring the surroundings, which can be quickly printed on board the ship.

The drone, named SULSA, was equipped with a small video camera. Management was carried out by researchers from Southampton using video cameras. The flight, with a range of 500 meters, lasted only a few minutes, but proved that 3D printed drones could be launched from the sea.


The route of the SULSA drone during a test flight.
Source: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/

3D printing solves the problem of ship capacity by allowing equipment to be printed at sea as needed. The only thing you need to have on board to print a drone is a 3D printer and a supply of nylon, which is disproportionately cheaper than a case made using traditional technologies, and takes up much less space.

The only drawback is the print speed, but it is expected to improve in the near future. Engineers from the American Army Research Laboratory (ARL) are trying to fight this shortcoming. They are developing drones that can be made within a day. Engineers are building drones that can be used to assist soldiers in communication, delivery, and aerial surveillance.


Eric Sopero demonstrates his drone to US military personnel.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Drones are made using off-the-shelf motors and propellers, but their body is almost entirely 3D printed. The maximum speed of the drone is 55 miles per hour. Drones can either be controlled by the operator from the remote control or operate in a completely autonomous mode. Work continues to reduce noise and increase flight range, maneuverability and payload.

The US Army is partnering with the Marine Corps to develop an unmanned vehicle parts catalog that can be downloaded to an employee's tablet. The software of this catalog allows you to order or 3D print a product directly from it.


American soldier with a drone.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

In addition to experiments with drones, 3D printing is also used in “big” aviation.

For example, the US Air Force has announced that it will 3D print toilet seats for military transport aircraft. The announcement comes after a scandal erupted when it was reported that each toilet seat cost the Air Force $10,000 to replace.


Airplane seat for $10,000.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The public, which already believed that the government did not always save on military spending, was extremely outraged. After an investigation initiated by one of the senators, the military department announced that it would print toilet seats on 3D printers.

Why is the toilet lid so expensive? These covers were mass-produced by Lockheed Martin, and in 2001 this giant of the military industry stopped their production. In addition, the military department explained that the C-5 toilet seat is not only a cover, but also part of the lavatory wall, which is designed to protect the body of the aircraft from corrosion that can be caused by urine.

According to the manufacturer, its high cost is due to the need to suspend the production of other goods. In the case of independent production of the Air Force, the spare part will cost only $300.

The manufacturer now claims that the US Air Force does not own the copyright to this cap. It is not known how this lawsuit will end, but the Air Force says that they will no longer buy this spare part, because they can make it themselves much cheaper.

As stated by the department: “The use of 3D printing allows us to create parts that are no longer being produced, resulting in significant cost savings.”


C-5 transport aircraft.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Another example of 3D printing was demonstrated by the Maryland Marines. Using 3D modeling and 3D printing, they made a $70,000 F-35 fighter jet part for just 9 cents. The Marines were assisted by Sam Pratt, a mechanical engineer in the design office of the Carderock Additive Technology Factory.

Sam revealed that he was with a support platoon in South Korea teaching CLB-31 Marines how to design 3D models and how to use 3D printing. His main task was to test the performance of 3D printers on marine vessels. He also taught employees how to use Solidworks CAD.


Sam Pratt talks to the Marines about 3D printing.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

When there was a problem printing a part needed to repair an F-35, a Marine officer offered to team up to cooperate. It turned out that the employees had already developed this part, but could not find the right dimensions. The fact is that they used a hobby-grade 3D printer and the free 3D editor Blender - Blender is ideal for implementing art projects, but it is difficult to create engineering products in it.


American Marine at the 3D printer.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Pratt helped with modeling and printing issues, the part was printed in PET-G.

Currently there are about 90 parts for ground vehicles that are approved for 3D printing in the military, you can download one of these parts and print it.

Large manufacturers are also moving forward and mastering 3D printing technologies. Thus, the giant of the aviation and military industry Lockheed Martin is actively investing in 3D printing.

Lockheed Martin uses 3D printing in its manufacturing processes, with over a hundred 3D printers in its arsenal for prototyping, tooling and printing finished products.

There are several reasons why Lockheed Martin uses 3D printing:

Reducing the time of production of products - up to 80%;
Reducing the weight of parts - up to 40%;
Proven reliability of parts in difficult conditions;
The most important thing is the possibility of an additional increase in production in the near future.

For example, it takes 18 to 20 months to manufacture fuel tanks for spacecraft using traditional technologies. The production of such a tank by 3D printing takes two weeks. In this case, a better uniformity of the structure of the tank elements is achieved. The tanks are manufactured using a Sciaky printer using EBAM (Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing) technology, in which a bar of metal material is heated by an electron beam.


Lockheed Martin uses 3D printing in its manufacturing processes.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Lockheed Martin's 3D printed products have already passed the lab testing stage and are in active use. Some of them travel around our solar system: the Jupiter-exploring Juno satellite has eight 3D-printed brackets, and the Orion spacecraft uses printed high-pressure valves.

Fleet

South Korea is 3D printing loudspeaker grilles for aircraft carriers. Shipping these gratings from Europe took up to seven months and cost $612 each. The printed part is made in 4-5 hours and costs about $35. Printing parts reduces their cost and production time, and localization of production reduces dependence on foreign supplies, which may be delayed or become unavailable for various reasons.

General Electric has contracted with the US Navy to develop software for rapid 3D printing of spare parts for ships, aircraft and other critical military installations. The contract, worth nine billion dollars, is designed for four years and provides for the creation of technology "digital duplicates" - a complex of software, base models and hardware. This technology will be used both for those spare parts that are no longer manufactured, and for new parts of ships and aircraft.


Concept Laser M2 3D printer printing with metal powder.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The project is being implemented in two stages: at the first stage, software and hardware parts will be developed, at the second stage they will be combined into a complex capable of quickly creating the necessary products using laser metal melting technology (DMLM).

Ammunition and small arms

The US Army has designed and 3D printed a fully functional grenade launcher called "R.A.M.B.O". The development of the grenade launcher took about six months. He fires 3D printed grenades


R.A.M.B.O. grenade launcher
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The grenade launcher consists of 50 parts, all of which, with the exception of springs and hardware, are printed on a 3D printer.


3D printed parts of the R.A.M.B.O.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

R.A.M.B.O. demonstrated characteristics similar to the M203 underbarrel grenade launcher made in the traditional way.

A US Marine team is 3D printing and testing small explosive containers that can be used on the battlefield.


3D printed container for explosives.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The development of small arms began in the private sector, with the most primitive pistols. On the Internet, you can find drawings of products such as the sensational Liberator. The first 3D printed pistol was printed on a professional Stratasys Dimension SST printer. The gun is chambered for 9 caliber rounds.mm and is charged during assembly.


A gun whose main components are made of plastic and printed using a 3D printer. Frame: YouTube.
Source: YouTube

The very possibility of obtaining weapons using 3D printing so excited the public that the drawings of the "Liberator" were withdrawn from public access, and the United States introduced a ban on 3D-printed weapons.

Solid Concepts has created a replica of the .45 Browning M1911 pistol, the Solid Concepts 1911 DMLS, using selective metal laser sintering. The first sample withstood 50 shots, later ones are capable of firing 600 shots without visible damage.


A working replica of a .45 Browning pistol M1911 - Solid Concepts 1911 DMLS, made by selective metal laser sintering.
Source: Solid Concepts Inc

Recently, the ban on the distribution of 3D printed weapons was lifted by a court decision. So, it is now possible to print weapons in the USA, with some restrictions: they can be no more than 50 mm in caliber and models cannot be freely available. This ban was easily circumvented by Defense Distributed, which posted models of their rifle for sale on one of the online services.


M4 rifle from Defense Distributed.
Source: https://depositphotos.com/

“Our models are not in the public domain because customers pay money for them,” a company spokesman said.

Uniforms and protection

The Vatican decided to use 3D printing technology for the production of traditional Swiss Guard headdresses.


Swiss Guard.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The Swiss Guard is the personal bodyguard of the Pope. From time immemorial, their form was made of metal, but now they have decided to keep up with the times. A 3D printed helmet will be significantly cheaper and, more importantly, lighter.


3D printed helmet prototype.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The helmets are made of PVC and bear the coat of arms of Pope Julius II, who founded the Swiss Guard in 1506.

The US military turned to the creators of the Iron Man costume, a movie character, for help in creating uniforms for the soldier of the future. The military commissioned Legacy Effects to develop and print the prototype components for the TALOS Special Outfit Kit.

TALOS will contain a cooling system to maintain a comfortable temperature in the suit, a tactical display and an integrated exoskeleton.


The concept of the uniform of the future - a set of special uniforms TALOS.
Source: http://3dprintingindustry.com/

The studio team will join the large team already working on the project, which includes bioengineers, combat veterans and technologists.

Building

The US Army Research Engineering Team printed a large building in just 21 hours. The area of the building is 47.5 square meters. The barrack-style building is the result of a three-year US Army Construction Engineering Research (ACES) program with a laboratory in Champagne, Illinois.


3D printed barracks.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Such a short construction time means that such temporary structures will become more affordable with the development of 3D printing. These buildings can be used as housing for refugees or temporary housing in case of natural disasters.


The process of building a 3D printer.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The building looks like an ordinary house, but in the future such buildings can be given any look. Such buildings are also more energy efficient than traditional ones - they require less energy for heating and cooling.

ACES cuts the amount of building materials used in half. Reducing the need for labor is 62%, compared with the construction of plywood structures.


Laying concrete mix with a construction 3D printer.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

ACES allows buildings to be printed using local materials.

Self-Sufficiency

A collaboration between the US Army Research Laboratory and the Marine Corps has led to the development of a technology to produce 3D printed PET filament from plastic waste such as water bottles.

According to the military, water bottles and plastic packaging are the most common litter on the battlefield. Both US and allied forces produce large amounts of this waste, and the ability to recycle it will reduce the cost of transporting raw materials. The filament obtained from recycled materials, provided that it is properly cleaned and dried, is completely equivalent in tensile strength to its analogue from primary raw materials.


Joint work of employees of the Research Laboratory of the US Army and the Marine Corps.
Source: https://all3dp. com/

A plant is being developed, housed in a standard shipping container, that will allow the production of filament from waste.

The US Army is also developing food printers. Their advantages are obvious:

the possibility of reducing the cost of food, compared with the traditional delivery of rations from abroad;
the possibility of compiling an individual menu, in accordance with the preferences of each soldier;
the possibility of individual balancing of the diet, depending on the dietary needs of each soldier.

The printer, like classic 3D printers, stacks components in layers.


3D printed food.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The printer uses the ultrasonic agglomeration method to 3D print small snacks.

Electronics

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell have developed a new way to 3D print conductive components for radar systems. They have created a new type of ink that allows radars to be made using 3D printing.


Electronic components obtained by 3D printing.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The development was sponsored by Raytheon, one of the defense industry companies.

According to the developers: “The use of this technology makes it possible to obtain cheaper and more versatile systems than those obtained by classical methods. This technology has obvious advantages in the military sphere, but it can also be used in civilian industry, for example, in the production of weather stations or unmanned vehicles. The main problem was obtaining ink with desired properties, capable of working with high-frequency radiation.”


Applying ink to a plastic plate.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The 3D printer is equipped with two heads with different operating principles. One applies the ink by spraying, the second fixes them by microvibration. Radar system components such as a voltage controlled capacitor (varicap), phase shifter (for electronic control of phase array radar systems) and frequency filters can be manufactured using this technology.

The ink material is based on nanoparticles that can be injected into molten plastic and then solidify with it, creating conductive structures.

The US Air Force Research Laboratory teamed up with American Semiconductor to create a silicon-polymer memory chip.

Using 3D printing technology, they have developed a new ultra-flexible chip with built-in sensors.


Dan Berrigan holding the new flexible chip.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

According to American Semiconductor, the thickness of the silicon wafer is 2000 angstroms. This tiny chip can measure humidity levels, temperature, muscle fatigue, and so on. This makes it ideal for use in new technologies for monitoring the well-being of wounded soldiers or the elderly.

Flexible electronics technology is being developed not only by research laboratories, but also by industry giants.

Apple, Boeing and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology formed an alliance to collaborate with the US Department of Defense in the field of flexible electronics.

The goal of the alliance is to have high quality flexible electronics by 2020.

The Department of Defense plans to provide a consortium called the FlexTech Alliance with $75 million over 5 years and raise $96 million in additional funding.


Smart clothes.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

The consortium includes 96 companies, 11 specialized laboratories, 42 universities and 14 state and regional organizations. The key partners of the consortium are Apple, Boeing, General Electric, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Motorola Mobility, Qualcomm and many others. Partner universities include Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Practical applications will be primarily focused on military targets, such as uniforms with vital sign monitors. Pressure sensors can also be installed on vehicles to monitor deformation in key areas.

The civilian application of such microcircuits will help athletes control body function and improve performance, and people suffering from cardiovascular disease, control and prevent seizures. This technology will allow hospitals to monitor their patients en masse.

Concepts or Looking Ahead

British scientists and engineers are working on growing military drones using chemical technology.


Hydroponic chemputter.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Military developers explore all possible and impossible technologies. In this case, they are working on a "chemcomputer". “Chemputer” is a registered trademark of BAE Systems. The technology is being developed by Professor Lee Cronin of the University of Glasgow and is a 3D printing of biomaterial drones and aircraft.

Unlike classic 3D printers, a chemputter performs chemical reactions at the molecular level, creating everything from electronics to wings.


Drone prototypes.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

While British scientists are inventing new technologies in printing for the military department, simple makers are creating weapons of the future using conventional 3D printers.

So, David Wirth created a hand railgun in his workshop.


David Wirth with his railgun.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Possibly inspired by the computer game Quake, he created this weapon using CAD, a 3D printer and an Arduino platform. The railgun can use aluminum or graphite bullets as ammunition, firing them at a speed of 250 m/s. The design is based on six huge capacitors, which, with a total weight of about nine kilograms, store more than 1800 joules of energy for each shot. The railgun also consists of batteries, two parallel contact rails and a pneumatic ammunition supply system.


Diagram of a railgun by David Wirth.
Source: https://all3dp.com/

Conclusion

3D printing technology is increasingly used in the military. The main role in its promotion is played by the need to reduce costs. On-site 3D printing of parts helps to solve the problems of logistics and supply, allowing you to save time and money on delivery, which is important for the army and aviation, and even more so for the navy - it is impossible to foresee ashore and take with you everything that you might need, and delivery boarding at sea is expensive.

We have cited only a small part of the military cases as examples - it is impossible to describe in one article all the prospects for the use of 3D printing in the military industry. And most of the solutions used by the military in production are also relevant for the civilian sector.

You can buy a 3D printer for production in Top 3D Shop — our experts will help you choose the best equipment for solving any tasks.

. 112V, corporation "Uralvagonzavod", 3D printer S-Max

3D printing with metals - technologies and printers / Habr

3D metal printing is becoming more and more popular. And this is not surprising: each metal print material offers a unique combination of practical and aesthetic properties in order to meet the requirements of various products, whether they are prototypes, miniatures, decorations, functional parts or even kitchen utensils.

The reasons for printing with metals are so strong that 3D printing with metals is already being introduced into mass production. In fact, some 3D printed parts have already caught up, and some have even surpassed those produced by traditional methods.

Traditional production from metals and plastics is very wasteful - in the aircraft industry, for example, up to 90% of materials go to waste. The output of products, in some industries, is no more than 30% of the material used.

Metal 3D printing uses less energy and reduces waste to a minimum. In addition, the finished 3D printed part can be up to 60% lighter than a milled or cast part. The aviation industry alone will save billions of dollars in fuel costs by reducing the weight of structures. But strength and lightness are needed in other industries. Yes, and economy too.

Metal 3D printing at home

What can you do if you want to try 3D metal printing at home? Metal printing requires extremely high temperatures, it is unlikely that you can use a regular FDM 3D printer for this, at least not yet. The situation may change in a few years, but now this is not available to home 3D equipment.

If you want to make metal-looking printouts at home, the best option is to use plastic containing metal particles.

Such as Colorfabb Bronzefill or Bestfilament Bronze.

These filaments contain a significant percentage of metal powders, but also enough plastic to print at low temperatures with any 3D printer. At the same time, they contain enough metal to look, feel and have a weight close to that of a metal object.

Items made of iron-containing filament even rust under certain conditions, which adds credibility, but they cannot rust through and deteriorate from this - and this is their advantage over real metal objects.

Benefits of these materials:

Unique look of printouts
Ideal for jewelry, figurines, homewares and decor
High strength
Very little shrinkage during cooling
Heated table optional

Cons:

Low product flexibility, depends on print design
Not considered food safe
Requires fine tuning of nozzle temperature and filament feed rate
Post-processing of products required - grinding, polishing
Fast extruder nozzle wear - metal filament is very abrasive compared to conventional materials

The general printing temperature range is typically 195°C - 220°C.

Industrial metal 3D printing

If you are looking to purchase a real metal 3D printer for enterprise use, then there are two pieces of news for you - good and bad.

The good news is that their range is quite wide and continues to expand - it will be possible to choose a device that meets any technical requirement. Further in the article you can see this.

The only bad news is prices. The cost of professional metal printing printers starts anywhere from $200,000 and goes up indefinitely. In addition, even if you choose and purchase the most inexpensive of them, the purchase of consumables, scheduled maintenance with the replacement of components, and repairs will be a separate blow. We do not forget about the staff and the costs of post-processing products. And at the stage of preparation for printing, you will need special software and people who can handle it.

If you are ready for all these expenses and difficulties - read on, we will present some very interesting samples.

https://youtu.be/20R9nItDmPY

Metal 3D printing application

Some industrial sectors already use metal 3D printers, they have become an integral part of the production process, which the average consumer may not be aware of:

The most common example is medical implants and dental crowns, bridges, prostheses, which are already considered the most patients. Reason: They can be 3D printed faster and cheaper and tailored to the individual needs of each patient.

The second, equally common example: jewelry. Most major manufacturers are gradually moving away from 3D printed molds and stencils to direct metal 3D printing, and titanium printing allows jewelers to create designs that were previously impossible.

In addition, the aerospace industry is becoming more and more dependent on 3D printed metal products. Ge-AvioAero in Italy is the world's first fully 3D printed factory that produces components for LEAP jet engines.

The next industry using metal 3D printers is the automotive industry. BMW, Audi, FCA are already seriously considering applying the technology to series production, not just prototyping, where they have been using 3D printing for years.

It would seem - why reinvent the wheel? But here, too, 3D metal printing has found application. For several years now, manufacturers of bicycle components and frames have been using 3D printing. Not only in the world, but also in Russia, this has become widespread. Exclusive bike manufacturer Triton is finishing up a project with a 3D printed titanium frame element that reduces weight without compromising strength.

But before metal 3D printing really takes over the world, there are a few major challenges that need to be overcome. First of all, it is the high cost and low speed of production of large series by this method.

Metal 3D Printing Technology

Much can be said about the use of metal-printing 3D printers. There are specifics, but the main issues are the same as with any other 3D printers: software and hardware limitations, material optimization and multi-material printing. We won't talk much about software, except to mention that major publishers such as Autodesk, SolidWorks, and SolidThinking all develop software products for use in metal 3D printing so that users can bring any shape imaginable to life.

Recently, there have been examples that 3D printed metal parts can be as strong as traditionally produced metal components, and in some cases even surpass them. Created using DMLS, the products have the same mechanical properties as those of solid cast counterparts.

Let's take a look at the available metal 3D printing technologies:

Process #1: Layer by layer powder fusion

The process of 3D printing metals that most major companies use these days is known as powder bed fusion or sintering. This means that a laser or other high-energy beam fuses particles of evenly distributed metal powder into a single whole, creating layers of the product, one after another.

There are eight major metal 3D printer manufacturers in the world, most of them located in Germany. Their technologies go under the acronym SLM (Selective Laser Melting) or DMLS (Direct Laser Metal Sintering).

Process #2: Binder Jetting

Another professional method with layer-by-layer bonding is gluing metal particles for subsequent firing in a high-temperature furnace, where the particles are fused under pressure, making up a single metal whole. The printhead applies the coupling solution to the powder substrate in layers, like a conventional printer on sheets of paper, after which the product is sent to firing.

Another similar but different technology based on FDM printing is mixing metal powder into metal paste. Using pneumatic extrusion, the 3D printer extrudes it, much like a 3D construction printer does with cement, to form 3D objects. After the desired shape is printed, the objects are also sintered in an oven. This technology is used by the Mini Metal Maker, perhaps the only more or less affordable metal 3D printer ($1600). Add the cost of a small kiln.

Process #3: Welding

You might think that among the metal printing technologies there is no similar to the usual FDM, however, this is not entirely true. You can't melt metal filament in the hot end of your 3D printer, but the big manufacturers have the technology and use it. There are two main ways to print with solid metal material.

One of them is called DED (Directed Energy Deposition), or laser cladding. It uses a laser beam to fuse metal powder that is slowly released and deposited from an extruder, forming layers of an object with an industrial arm.

This is usually done inside a closed chamber, however, with MX3D, we see the possibility of implementing a similar technology in the construction of a real full-size bridge, which is due to be printed in 2017 in Amsterdam.

The other is called EBM (Electron Beam Manufacturing), a technology for forming layers of metal raw materials under the influence of a powerful electron beam, with its help create large and very large structures. If you do not work in the defense complex of the Russian Federation or the United States, then you are unlikely to see this technology alive.

A couple of new, barely emerging technologies, used so far only by their creators, are presented below - in the section on printers.

Metals used

Ti - Titanium

Pure titanium (Ti64 or TiAl4V) is one of the most commonly used metals for 3D printing, and certainly one of the most versatile as it is both strong and lightweight. It is used both in the medical industry (in personalized prosthetics) and in the aerospace and automotive industries (for the manufacture of parts and prototypes), and in other areas. The only catch is that it is highly reactive, which means it can explode easily when in powder form, and should definitely only be used for printing in an inert Argon gas environment.

SS - Stainless steel

Stainless steel is one of the most affordable metals for 3D printing. At the same time, it is very durable and can be used in a wide range of industrial and artistic applications. This type of steel alloy containing cobalt and nickel has high elasticity and tensile strength. 3D printing of stainless steel is used mainly only in heavy industry.

Inconel

Inconel is a modern superalloy. It is manufactured by Special Metals Corporation and is a patented trademark. Consists, for the most part, of nickel and chromium, has high heat resistance. It is used in the oil, chemical and aerospace industries (for example: to create distribution nozzles, on-board "black boxes").

Al

Due to its inherent lightness and versatility, aluminum is a very popular metal for 3D printing applications. It is usually used in the form of various alloys, forming their basis. Aluminum powder is explosive and is used in printing in an inert Argon gas environment.

CoCr - Cobalt Chrome

This metal alloy has a very high specific strength. It is used both in dentistry - for 3D printing of dental crowns, bridges and clasp prostheses, and in other areas.

Cu - Copper

With rare exceptions, copper and its alloys - bronze, brass - are used for casting using burnt patterns, and not for direct metal printing. This is because their properties are far from ideal for industrial 3D printing applications, they are more commonly used in arts and crafts. With great success, they are added to plastic filament - for 3D printing on conventional 3D printers.

Fe - Iron

Iron and magnetic iron ore are also mainly used as an additive to PLA filament. In large-scale industry, pure iron is rarely used, and we wrote about steel above.

Au, Ag — Gold, silver and other precious metals

Most powder fusing 3D printers can work with precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum. The main task when working with them is to ensure the optimal consumption of expensive material. Precious metals are used in 3D printing of jewelry and medical products, as well as in the production of electronics.

Metal 3D printers

# 1: Sciaky EBAM 300 - titanium rod

For printing really large metal structures, Sciaky's EBAM is the best choice. This device can be any size, to order. It is used primarily in the US aerospace and defense industries.

As a production model, Sciaky sells the EBAM 300. It has a working area with sides of 5791 x 1219 x 1219 mm.

The company claims the EBAM 300 is one of the fastest commercially available industrial 3D printers. Structural elements of aircraft, the production of which, according to traditional technologies, could take up to six months, are now printed within 48 hours.

Sciaky's unique technology uses a high power electron beam gun to melt 3mm thick titanium filament, with a standard deposition rate of about 3-9 kg/h.

#2: Fabrisonic UAM - ultrasonic

Another way to 3D print large metal parts is Ultrasound Additive Manufacturing Technology (UAM) from Fabrisonic. The brainchild of Fabrisonic is a three-axis CNC machine with an additional welding head. The metal layers are first cut and then welded together using ultrasound. Fabrisonic's largest 3D printer, "7200", has a build volume of 2 x 2 x 1.5 m.

# 3: Laser XLine 1000 - metal powder

One of the largest metal powder 3D printers on the market has long been the Concept Laser XLine 1000. It has a build area of 630 x 400 x 500mm and takes up space like a small house.

The German company that made it, which is one of the suppliers of 3D printers for aerospace giants such as Airbus, recently introduced a new printer, the XLine 2000.

2000 has two lasers and an even larger build volume of 800 x 400 x 500 mm. This machine, which uses patented LaserCUSING technology (a type of selective laser melting), can create objects from alloys of steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, precious metals, and some pure materials (titanium and bar steels.)

All major players in the metal 3D printing market: EOS, SLM, Renishaw, Realizer and 3D Systems, as well as Shining 3D, a rapidly growing company from China.

# 4: M Line Factory - Modular 3D Factory

Displacement: 398.78 x 398.78 x 424.18 mm
1 to 4 lasers, 400 - 1000 watts each.

The M Line Factory concept is based on the principles of automation and interaction.

M Line Factory, from the same Concept Laser and operating on the same technology, does not focus on the size of the workspace, but on the convenience of production - it is a modular architecture apparatus that divides production into separate processes in such a way that these processes can occur simultaneously, not sequentially.

This new architecture consists of 2 independent machine nodes:

M Line Factory PRD (Production Unit)

Production Unit consists of 3 types of modules: dosing module, printing module and overflow module (tray for finished products). All of them can be individually activated and do not form one continuous piece of equipment. These modules are transported through a system of tunnels inside the machine. For example, when new powder is supplied, the empty powder storage module can be automatically replaced with a new one without interrupting the printing process. Finished parts can be moved outside the machine and immediately automatically replaced by the next jobs.

M Line Factory PCG (Processing Unit)

This is an independent data processing unit that has an integrated sieving and powder preparation station. Unpacking, preparation for the next print job and sieving take place in a closed system, without the participation of the operator.

# 5: ORLAS CREATOR - 3D printer ready to go

The creators of ORLAS CREATOR position this 3D printer as the most affordable, easy-to-use and ready-to-use, does not require the installation of any additional components and third-party programs, capable of printing directly from a complete CAD / CAM file of their own design.

All the necessary components are installed in a relatively compact case, which needs a space of 90x90x200 cm. It does not take up much space, although it looks impressive, and it weighs 350 kg.

As can be understood from the table given by the manufacturer, the metal powder is sintered by a rotating laser system, in layers 20-100 µm thick and with a “pixel” size of only 40 µm, in a nitrogen or argon atmosphere. You can connect it to a regular household power supply if your wiring can withstand a load of 10 amperes. Which, however, does not exceed the requirements of an average washing machine.

Laser power - 250 watts. The working area is a cylinder 100 mm in diameter and 110 mm in height.

#6: FormUp 350 - Powder Machine Part Method (PMPM)

The FormUp 350, powered by Powder Machine Part Method (PMPM), was created by AddUp, a joint venture between Fives and Michelin. This is the latest metal 3D printing machine, first introduced in November at Formnext2016.

The principle of operation of this 3D printer is the same as that of the above colleagues, but its main feature is different - it lies in its inclusion in PMPM.

The printer is designed specifically for industrial use, in 24/7 mode, and is designed for exactly this pace of work. The PMPM system includes quality control of all components and materials, at all stages of their production and distribution, which should guarantee consistently high performance, in which Michelin has a huge long-term experience.

# 7: XJET - NanoParticle Jetting - Metal Inkjet

The nanoparticle injection technology involves the use of special sealed cartridges with a solution containing a suspension of metal nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles are deposited and form the material of the printed product.

Considering the claimed features of the technology (the use of nano-sized metal particles), it is easy to believe the creators of the device when they claim its unprecedented accuracy and print resolution.

# 8: VADER Mk1 - MagnetoJet - Metal Inkjet

Zack Vader's MagnetoJet technology is based on the study of magnetohydrodynamics, and more specifically, the ability to control molten metal using magnetic fields. The essence of the development is that a drop of a strictly controlled size is formed from molten aluminum, and these drops are used for printing.

The size of such a droplet is from 200 to 500 microns, printing occurs at a speed of 1000 drops per second. Printer working area: 300 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm

Media: Aluminum and its alloys (4043, 6061, 7075). And, even though it is only aluminum for now, the printer is 2 times faster than powder ones and up to 10 times cheaper.

The Mk2 is scheduled for release in 2018 and will be equipped with 10 printheads, which should increase print speed by 30 times.

# 9: METAL X - ADAM - atomic diffusion

Markforged introduced a new metal 3D printing technology - ADAM, and a 3D printer working on this technology - Metal X.

ADAM (Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing) - atomic diffusion technology. Printing is done with metal powder, where the metal particles are coated with a synthetic binder, which is removed after printing, allowing the metal to fuse together.

The main advantage of the technology is the absence of the need to use ultra-high temperatures directly in the printing process, which means that there are no restrictions on the refractoriness of the materials used for printing. Theoretically, the printer can create 3D models from heavy-duty tool steels - now it is already printing with stainless steel, and titanium, Inconel and D2 and A2 steels are in development.