Air Force Research Laboratory

Laser Wars: SLM Solutions Announces Order for Massive NXG XII 600E Metal 3D Printer

SLM Solutions (AM3D.DE) previously announced that it would collaborate with military research organization Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) to build a large metal printer for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The resulting…

America Makes & AFRL Announce Winners of Metal 3D Printing Prediction Challenge

The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute America Makes, managed and operated by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, was established in 2012…

US Air Force & FSU Partner to Make Reinforced Ceramic for 3D Printed Sensors

Scientists working together from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Florida State University (FSU) are enjoy the benefits of collaboration, as well as reaping the rewards of discoveries in…

US Air Force Uses Senvol ML Software to Qualify Multi-Laser 3D Printing Systems

Over the last few years, Senvol, which provides data to help companies implement additive manufacturing into their workflows, has put a good deal of focus into military applications. Back in…

AFRL Providing $154M in Funding to NextFlex to Advance Flexible Hybrid Electronics

In 2015, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Manufacturing Institute (NextFlex) was formed as the result of an agreement between the US Department of Defense (DoD) and FlexTech Alliance. One of…

Military 3D Printing: Open Additive Awarded 27-Month Air Force CRP Contract

Open Additive has recently been awarded a $2.94M, 27-month Air Force Commercial Readiness Program (CRP) contract. The Beavercreek, Ohio-headquartered 3D printer manufacturer will be working with the U.S. Air Force…

America Makes Project Call: 3D Printed Optical Components to Support US Air Force

Ohio-based America Makes, a top collaborative partner in the US for 3D printing technology discovery, innovation, and research, just announced its latest Project Call – Additive for eXtreme Improvement in…

Texas A&M: A Method for 3D Printing Porosity Free Martensitic Steels

While seeking a corrosion-resistant alloy for gun barrels in 1912, British researcher Harry Brearley, who is commonly regarded as the inventor of stainless steel, discovered a martensitic stainless steel alloy….

AFRL and University Partners Used 3D Printed Composite Materials to Make Structural Parts

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) near my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, has long been interested in using 3D printing and composite materials for…

Air Force Research Laboratory Testing 3D Printed Parts for Motors

In ‘3D Printed Motor: In-House Seedling Effort: Experiential Training for Building and Experimentally Testing a Motor Using 3D Printed Elements,’ authors Kevin J. Yost and Maxwell Stelmack discuss what they…

Proper 3D Printing Orientation and Technique Can Introduce Dielectric Strength Anisotropy into Insulator Components

3D printing has been applied to multiple projects across the various branches of the US military. However, before the technology can be used for more critical applications, some of its…

3D Systems’ Figure 4 3D Printing Technology Selected for Air Force Research

This week at the RAPID + TCT show, 3D Systems showcased its advanced Figure 4 technology and made a big announcement: Figure 4 has been selected for Air Force-sponsored research focused…

AFRL Researchers Successfully 3D Print High-Temperature, Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Parts

Together with researchers from the University of Louisville and NASA’s Glenn Research Center, the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are looking into high-temperature polymer 3D…

AFRL & American Semiconductor Innovate with New Award-Winning 3D Printed Chip

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and American Semiconductor have collaborated to create a new 3D printed silicon chip that will bring together both previous and newer techniques for assisting with…

America Makes Puts Out New Additive Manufacturing Research Project Call

Ohio-based America Makes, which this summer celebrated five years of being the national accelerator for additive manufacturing in the US, is managed and operated by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining…

3D Printing News Briefs: November 14, 2017

We’re getting down to business in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs…business news, that is. Rize announced an addition to its corporate staff at formnext today, and 3D printing bureau Hobs…

Air Force Research Laboratory Uses X-Rays to Study 3D Printing Material Properties

The US military has been using 3D printing in myriad ways, applying the technology to everything from submarine hulls to water bottles to drones and much more. Eventually, the Air Force…

Hybrid 3D Printing Technique Creates Stretchable Wearable Electronics

The skin is an amazing organ with a high level of flexibility that’s difficult to reproduce synthetically. Fabrics like Spandex can mimic the stretchability of skin, but when it comes…

AFRL Researchers Inspired by Newsprint Use 3D Printing and Perovskites to Fabricate Cost-Efficient Solar Cells

A friend told me once that it was possible to make an inexpensive, working solar oven just by painting a big cardboard box black and lining the inside with tinfoil,…

The Next “Mother of All Bombs” May Be Smaller, Lighter and 3D Printed

Last month, the United States dropped a 21,600 pound bomb on a remote area of Afghanistan, attacking a tunnel complex used by Islamic State militants. The Massive Ordnance Air Blast,…

Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate Continue to Explore the Benefits and Challenges of Additive Manufacturing

I am an incredibly proud resident of Dayton, Ohio, born and raised in the Gem City. Not only did the Wright Brothers live and develop the first powered, heavier-than-air aircraft…

Reaction Systems Wins Two-Year, $750K SBIR Contract Extension Thanks to Additive Manufacturing Expertise from ADAPT Consortium and Faustson Tool

The Alliance for the Development of Additive Processing Technologies (ADAPT), a research and development consortium based out of Colorado that’s dedicated to developing advanced additive manufacturing technologies, gives a leg…