Supernova Launches Defense Division for 3D Printing Explosive Materials

After spinning out of Spain’s BCN3D in early 2024 on the back of its proprietary viscous lithography manufacturing (VLM) process, Supernova has announced the launch of a new division, Supernova Defense & Space. VLM is a form of digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing (AM) that Supernova claims can process materials with up to 100 times higher viscosity compared to traditional DLP.

Supernova Defense & Space will leverage that capability of VLM to print military-grade materials including Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP) and Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX), typically unsuitable for AM processes. APCP is generally used in solid rocket motors (SRMs), while RDX is the explosive agent used in C4.

In a press release about the launch of Supernova Defense & Space, Roger Antunez, the company’s founder and CEO, said, “Supernova Defense & Space represents our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to manufacture. By pioneering 3D printing of energetic materials, we’re not just advancing technology — we’re providing the tools to the engineers to innovate and reshape the future of defense and space industries.”

Given all of the (typically negative) attention that 3D printed firearms receive, many will likely view Supernova Defense & Space, or at least the market segment it’s more or less initiating, as controversial. On the other hand, it’s not like the US military, for instance, hasn’t already been exploring 3D printed explosives for some time.

While the linked story in the previous sentence may refer to the containers for explosives rather than the energetic materials themselves, I would imagine that DoD has also been extensively looking into using AM for energetic materials, as well, and the ability to 3D print bullets has existed for some time. Moreover, the DoD’s ramp-up of 3D printed solid rocket motors demonstrates how high the potential demand is for what Supernova Defense & Space will be offering.

What all of this does illustrate, however, is that a reckoning is on the horizon for the regulatory environment surrounding AM, and governments around the world are about to become far more interested in developing protocols for monitoring AM technologies. This has been a long time coming, and, in the long run, I believe it will be a good thing for moving the industry forward.

In the short-term, there’s no question that any such development has the possibility to further disrupt an industry that is already in a state of almost constant disruption. It’s impossible to say this early on what that disruption will look like: but I think we’re about to see what the real-world limits are for “democratizing” manufacturing.

Images courtesy of Supernova