Fortify, the Boston-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of composite 3D printers, has delivered a FLUX ONE 3D printer to NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Leveraging Fortify’s proprietary Digital Composite Manufacturing (DCM) technology, Fortify’s FLUX printers are designed to excel at handling high-viscosity composite materials.
Those materials, and the FLUX ecosystem as a whole, are especially viable for RF and microwave devices, which are the applications that NASA plans to explore with its FLUX ONE — specifically, for satellites. Researchers at Glenn will also use the FLUX ONE to develop new materials including aerogels, which, according to NASA, “are among the lightest solid materials known to man”.
Image courtesy of NASA
In a press release, Fortify co-founder and CEO Josh Martin said, “Our additive manufacturing [AM] platform allows for the design and manufacturing of RF devices that enable performance benefits unmatched through traditional methods and we are extremely excited to see what type of research and technological advancements come from the Glenn Research Center.”
The co-founder and Chief Customer Officer of Fortify, Karlos Delos Reyes, said, “This delivery underscores our dedication to unlock new possibilities with our manufacturing platform. While other [AM] methods have fundamental limits, the Flux Platform enables the processing and creation of advanced materials that unlock markets.”
Image courtesy of Fortify
There are few markets more worthwhile for targeting than the space industry, and within that industry, satellites may be the most lucrative potential opportunity for advanced manufacturing operations. AM companies are especially well-positioned to target satellite manufacturers, given the large and constantly growing gap between supply and demand in satellite supply chains, as well as the potential for new satellite designs to capitalize on AM’s ability to deliver parts with complex geometries.
Fortify, quietly one of the most plugged-in companies in the AM industry — for instance, it was the recipient last year of the first-ever joint investment by RTX and Lockheed Martin — has established the perfect niche for targeting the satellites market. This could have significance far beyond the company’s own fortunes, as NASA’s planned utilization of the FLUX ONE is the type of R&D activity that is likely to spur additional activity from other companies.
Fortify’s business model also illustrates how, outside of the polymers market, the best approach for AM companies is still to seek out users doing high-level R&D. The key here is likely to try to determine the use-cases that have the highest urgency in terms of the end-user’s planned schedule in moving from R&D to production.
Featured image courtesy of Fortify