3d printing in the military
A Great Transformation: Advanced Manufacturing’s Future is in the National Defense Industrial Strategy
One of my favorite books was written against the backdrop of World War 2, centered around an argument aiming to explain the long-term causes for that conflict. Karl Polanyi’s The…
The U.S. Navy’s 3D Printing Innovation Is just Getting Warmed up
Back in September, Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. (BPMI) awarded a contract to ATI Inc. to build a metal additive manufacturing (AM) facility in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area, in support…
US Department of Defense to Spend $1.8B on 3D Printing in 2032, Says First Intelligence Report on Defense from AMR
Additive Manufacturing (AM) Research (formerly SmarTech Analysis) has published its first ever intelligence report on the 3D printing market for defense, “Additive Manufacturing for Military and Defense.” Among other highlights,…
First In-Flight AM: US Marines Demonstrate 3D Printing Aboard an MV-22 Osprey
Breaking new ground in additive manufacturing (AM), researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)’s Consortium for Additive Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) successfully executed in-flight 3D printing aboard a U.S….
Commercial & Defense 3D Printing at the Point of Need with SPEE3D
Australian OEM SPEE3D, which specializes in cold spray metal additive manufacturing (AM) solutions that work under extreme conditions, is one of the more interesting companies in the AM industry right…
US Navy Official Says the Future of Military Shipbuilding Depends on Metal 3D Printing
Matt Sermon, the executive director of the US Navy’s Program Executive Office, Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN), recently said that the navy will need to continue significantly ramping up its additive…
US Navy Awards MatterHackers $5M for Ultimaker 3D Printers & Training
With a selection of over 70 desktop 3D printers and more than 2,000 materials, it’s no wonder that California company MatterHackers is the biggest USA-based retailer of desktop systems and…
3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: October 10, 2021
We’ve got another crazy busy week of 3D printing webinars and events coming up, so let’s just dive right in to all of the details! European Military AM Symposium First…
Should We Begin Preparing for 3D Printed Nuclear Weapons?
The large NC3 (Nuclear Command, Control & Communications) architecture, comprised of systems made up of many airborne, space-based, and terrestrial components meant to connect nuclear forces in the US to the…
3D Printing News Briefs: February 8, 2019
We made it to the weekend! To celebrate, check out our 3D Printing News Briefs today, which covers business, research, and a few other topics as well. PostProcess has signed…
US Army Learning About and Using 3D Printing to Improve Military Readiness
The US Army has long been putting 3D printing to good use. In an article published in the latest edition of Army AL&T Magazine, senior editor Steve Stark takes a deep…
US Army Takes RFAB 3D Printing Facility to South Korea
The US military has been using 3D printing for quite a while in all of its branches, and now in South Korea the Army is field testing 3D printed concepts…
3D Printing Keeps Navy Ships Up and Running for Minimal Cost
3D printing has become a bigger part of life in the United States Navy, and indeed in all branches of the military, as servicepeople come up with ingenious ways to use…
3D Printing Valued by the Navy for Underway Replenishment
Underway replenishment, also known as replenishment at sea (RAS) is a method of transferring supplies from one ship to another while a naval mission is underway. In a paper entitled…
Military Researchers Present Work on Recycled 3D Printing Material
The US military has made no secret of its enthusiasm for 3D printing, and lately has taken a creative, eco-friendly approach to the technology, looking into the recycling of water…
Live Demonstration of ACES Concrete 3D Printing Technology at CERL US Army to Print house in a day: Part 1
Last August, the US Army 3D printed a complete barracks, also known as a B-Hut, out of concrete, as part of a three-year program called Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES)….
Air Force Uses 3D Printing to Save Thousands of Dollars…On Cups
It’s remarkable that something so small as a cup handle could be responsible for saving thousands of dollars, but cases like these are seen all the time – often in…
Air Force Saves Millions of Dollars with a Few 3D Printed Parts
It’s amazing how much money can be saved just by using 3D printing to modify items in small ways, and this is evident especially frequently in the military, where something…
Pacific Pathways: Army Ventures Further into 3D Printing During Experimental Exercises
3D printing and the military go way back—but as this technology has entered the mainstream and grown in popularity exponentially, it is becoming much more common for personnel to enjoy…
Building Momentum Trains Marines in 3D Printing
Building Momentum is a veteran-owned technology development and consulting company based in Alexandria, Virginia. Founder and CEO Brad Halsey formed the company after he found himself utilizing 3D printing while…
Marines Use 3D Printing to Repair Snowshoes
Snowshoes are a very old type of winter footwear, developed by indigenous people centuries ago. The design is brilliant – a webbed lacing, or, in the case of some modern…
Marines Embrace 3D Printing for Production of Replacement Parts
Whatever your opinion about the military and its operations, it would be difficult to argue that they are not interested in advances in technology. The US Navy recently worked with…
Military Investigates Invertebrates as Model for 3D Printed Active Materials for Robots
The octopus is an amazing creature. While most invertebrates are known for their ability to writhe helplessly on a sidewalk after a rainstorm, go squish when accidentally stepped on, or…
US Army Demonstrates Latest 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, Drone Technologies
There are many military applications for 3D printing, from manufacturing grenade launchers and body armor to building drones and customizing military meals. Last year, the US Army released a report detailing its…
