The use of additive manufacturing is transforming the defence industry
Additive manufacturing (AM) offers boundless possibilities in the defence sector and is now making a mark in the maritime domain as well. The excitement over the possibilities that 3D printing offer the defence sector is not limited to a particular region alone, as AM applications pushes production costs down and provides new ways to 3D print replacement parts on demand, a plethora of projects, many of them pushing the limits of 3D printing far beyond what most imagined possible, have either been completed or are underway. Analysts expect further breakthroughs as militaries are exploring new design engineering possibilities using AM technologies that have the potential to reduce part lead times by as much as 90 per cent, slash materials cost by 90 per cent, reduce waste and cut energy use in half as compared to legacy processes.
The U.S. Navy is one of the early birds when it comes to adopting the technology. In 2017, the service used additive manufacturing to create submarine parts. In October 2022, it opened its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence at the State of Virginia’s Center for Manufacturing Advancement on the campus of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. In January last year, the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center signed six new AM deals, with companies as diverse as General Electric, Johns Hopkins APL, Lockheed Martin RMS, Mercury Systems, ReLogic Research, and Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. The companies are working on developing prototype projects, using 3D printing technology, that focus on protecting military technologies from the enemy attacks. In November, the service made news by permanently installing a metal 3D printer aboard naval ship USS Bataan. The 3D printer onboard USS Essex is just one of the examples of the extensive use of AM by the U.S. military. In recent years, different services have turned to 3D printing to produce spare parts for fighter jets, drones, and even barracks for remote outposts. The Defence Logistics Agency (DLA) of the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) is developing a set of common standards and methods to streamline 3D printing for the U.S. military. The DLA is also finetuning a programme that will facilitate remote inspection for 3D printed parts; this is expected to reduce the time required for inspection by a whopping 90 per cent.
In another example of the possibilities of AM, Al Seer Marine, a UAE-based company has built the Hydra unmanned surface vessel (USV), which weighs 350 kg and measures 5m in length. Hydra is the first 3D printed unmanned surface vessel. The boat, stealthy in nature, has sensors located inside the vessel, and will be powered with electric motors. A technological demonstration platform, Hydra will be used for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance) missions once it becomes operational. After the design and engineering work for the drone were completed, the printing process took just five days. Al Seer Marine’s 3D printing unit is reportedly the world’s largest robotic additive manufacturing facility. The company intends to expand the facility even further and manufacture parts for its other unmanned vessels and vehicles. Also in the works is a 3D printed mast for the HYDRA. Among the unmanned aerial vehicles that United Kingdom rapidly developed and flight-tested to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression is a 3D-printed delta-wing suicide drone. In July 2022, the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Essex became the first American ship with a metal 3D printer onboard. The high-speed printer, used by both the Navy and the Marines, gives the crew the ability to manufacture replacement parts for drones on demand, thus reducing the inventory of spare parts on the ship. In May 2022, the Biden Administration joined GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Siemens Energy to launch Additive Manufacturing Forward (AM Forward) to encourage the use of 3D printing technologies in companies across the United States. The initiative, which is expected to have a positive impact on supply chain resilience, involves the five companies purchasing additively produced parts from smaller U.S.-based suppliers, training the workers of suppliers on new additive technologies, developing common, and introducing certification for additive products.
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