3D Printing in Defense Industry

3D Printing in Defense Industry

Design faster when time is critical

When customized equipment is vital and deadlines are non-negotiable, 3D printing gives government, military and defense manufacturers the freedom to design a single end-use part, quickly create low-volume tooling, or build complex, precise prototypes.

Prototype without blowing the timeline

3D printing – particularly when done in-house – enables design teams to quickly produce a high-quality, realistic prototype with moving parts at relatively low cost when compared to other methods such as machining or outsourcing. This means teams can use prototyping on projects where it wasn’t feasible in the past due to time or cost considerations.

Functional Testing

More prototyping means more opportunity to evaluate whether or not a part will function as intended. Prototypes allow designers to catch potential flaws before incurring the exponentially higher costs of re-tooling and rework, reducing some of the risk of introducing new products.

 

Design Concepts & Mock-ups

The ability to quickly produce real working prototypes that teams can see and touch helps bridge the gap between the virtual CAD design and the final product. Design and manufacturing engineers can use these prototypes as a tool to better communicate how a design looks, feels, and operates allowing for the product design to integrate with manufacturing at an earlier stage in the development lifecycle.

 

Future Applications

3D Printed Antennas

Rather than trucking or airlifting in antennas for the growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices that are appearing on the battlefield, the Army is studying ways to print dielectric antennas, even from non-conductive materials like ceramic or plastic, directly on location. EM Lab Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso are working on several different approaches for 3D printing high-frequency circuits and electromagnetic devices.

Biometric Sensors

Like 3D printing antennas, being able to 3D print multi-material electronic circuits opens up the potential for several different applications for “future warfighters”. Researchers at Picatinny Arsenal have long envisioned the potential to embed a radio antenna on the side of a soldier’s helmet, or 3D print sensors that monitor status directly onto a weapon or an article of clothing, such as a combat boot.

Open Additive Manufacturing

DARPA’s Open Manufacturing program seeks to speed up adoption of metal additive manufacturing for end-use components. While Sciaky and Lockheed Martin have already produced test parts for jets (not yet approved for in-flight use), DARPA has been working with a panel composed of experts from the US Army Manufacturing Technology Program, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the US Army Evaluation Center.

Through 3D printing, the U.S. Army is studying ways to combine different advanced materials, reduce the number of seams for added comfort and durability, and even create embedded ballistic sections into a single piece of clothing. One alternative and futuristic approach is the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS.

In 2014, the military commissioned Hollywood FX studio Legacy to help them design and 3D print prototype components for TALOS, an advanced suit and exoskeleton to augment soldiers’ physical capabilities on the battlefield.

 

Ready to find out more?

 

MKS Technologies Pvt Ltd.

Ph No :- 0863-2224357

Email | www.mkstechgroup.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *