VRC Metal Systems, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) based in South Dakota, announced that the company has been selected to participate in the 2022 REPTEX hosted by the U.S. Navy. REPTEX is an event meant to showcase new technologies and products relevant to naval operations, and will take place at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, CA, August 22-September 2, 2022.
Cold Spray on the High Seas
Sponsored by the Naval Sea Systems Command Technology Office (NAVSEA 05T), the event will be held aboard the ex-US Paul F. Foster, DD 964, based in Port Hueneme and currently serving as the U.S. Navy’s Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS). The SDTS is exactly what the label implies: a ship, taken out of combat use and refurbished, used by the U.S. Navy to showcase, test, and fine-tune new technological applications.
Cold spray is the technical process upon which VRC’s metal additive manufacturing (AM) systems rest. A coating deposition technique, cold spray involves use of a gas-powered nozzle to adhere a given material to a particular surface. It is one of the fastest AM processes, and is especially useful for making repairs to metal parts, and in particular, repairs related to corrosion.
Owing to its rapidity, as well as its relative portability compared to most other AM techniques, cold spray seems to be catching on with the military above all other sectors. Moreover, all of the aforementioned advantages to cold spray would seem to make the technology particularly compatible for use in naval applications.
U.S. Navy Sails Toward Metal 3D Printing
If that’s the case, now would be the perfect time for VRC to gain traction with the U.S. Navy. Since the start of the Pentagon’s increasing interest in AM, sometime around the early 2010s, the Navy has generally lagged behind the other branches in terms of its adoption of AM techniques. As I’ve mentioned in multiple posts this year, that seems to have changed.
This summer, in addition to the REPTEX, the Navy also tested AM on a ship that was at sea for the first time — the USS Essex — during the world’s largest maritime war games exercise, the RIMPAC. At REPTEX, VRC will also have the benefit of being able to demonstrate the capabilities of its machines one-one-one with naval personnel. The SDTS is even engineered to operate by remote control, which will give companies like VRC the opportunity to exhibit their technology at sea.
Finally, it’s worth reiterating that advancements in naval AM applications will have implications for maritime AM, more broadly. Increased use of AM techniques for maritime purposes could, in turn, be critical for the entire industry, given the potential to restructure supply chains such that as much AM infrastructure as possible is located near major seaports.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
Profiling a Construction 3D Printing Pioneer: US Army Corps of Engineers’ Megan Kreiger
The world of construction 3D printing is still so new that the true experts can probably be counted on two hands. Among them is Megan Kreiger, Portfolio Manager of Additive...
US Army Corps of Engineers Taps Lincoln Electric & Eaton for Largest 3D Printed US Civil Works Part
The Soo Locks sit on the US-Canadian border, enabling maritime travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, from which ships can reach the rest of the Great Lakes. Crafts carrying...
Construction 3D Printing CEO Reflects on Being Female in Construction
Natalie Wadley, CEO of ChangeMaker3D, could hear the words of her daughter sitting next to her resounding in her head. “Mum, MUM, you’ve won!” Wadley had just won the prestigious...
1Print to Commercialize 3D Printed Coastal Resilience Solutions
1Print, a company that specializes in deploying additive construction (AC) for infrastructure projects, has entered an agreement with the University of Miami (UM) to accelerate commercialization of the SEAHIVE shoreline...