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A whopping 75% of industry leaders believe that\u00a03D printing will become standard within the defence industry\u00a0within the next 10 years, according to a study by Defence IQ. Clearly, as in other industries, 3D printing is making its case within defence and military fields. Additive manufacturing has the potential to transform the defence industry, providing new ways to 3D print replacement parts on demand, whilst reducing production costs and enabling new design engineering possibilities.<\/p>\n
As we continue to explore\u00a0the impact of additive manufacturing on various industries<\/a>, today we\u2019ll take a look at how the defence industry has embraced 3D printing, and the opportunities the technology provides military sectors. We\u2019ll also outline the challenges for wider adoption of the technology, as well as future applications in the sector.<\/p>\n Additive manufacturing can unlock a sea of opportunities for the defence industry, not least reduced production costs for tools and components, additional design flexibility and localised manufacturing. At the same time, additive manufacturing can \u00a0considerably enhance the maintenance of military systems through the production of spare or obsolete parts.<\/p>\n The defence industry is among the main contributors to the continued development of AM technologies and materials. The proposed US military budget for this year, for example,\u00a0includes a\u00a0$13.2 billion\u00a0investment\u00a0into technology innovation. This includes added support for additive manufacturing within the Department of Defence, a clear indicator of the growing interest in the capabilities of 3D printing for defence applications.<\/p>\n 1. Faster product development \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Additive manufacturing significantly speeds up the design process, since it requires no tooling.\u00a0 In contrast, traditional manufacturing can take months to produce the necessary tools to create end parts and prototypes. The defence industry can therefore take advantage of the technology to bypass costly and time-consuming tooling, thereby reducing the time required for product development.<\/p>\n 2. Freedom of design<\/strong><\/p>\n The defence industry can also capitalise on the ability of 3D printing\u00a0to produce freeform, optimised objects<\/a>. This means that the weight of a part can be significantly reduced using additive manufacturing, saving material costs and production time. Leveraging advanced design tools, design engineers can reduce the number of components in an assembly to just one, and thus greatly simplify the assembly process.<\/p>\n 3. Customised equipment<\/strong><\/p>\n Not only does 3D printing allow for more design freedom, but it also offers the opportunity to create customised parts, tailored for specific functions. \u00a0Rather than carry parts and pieces for \u00a0all possible configurations, soldiers can use 3D printing systems to manufacture parts on demand.\u00a0For example, researchers in the US Army can now\u00a03D print customised drone airframes<\/a>\u00a0tailored to the specific needs of a given mission. Customisable 3D printable designs are therefore vital to achieving greater levels of agility and flexibility within the military.<\/p>\n 4. Localised and on-demand production<\/strong><\/p>\n Coordinating logistics and transportation make up a significant part of any military budget. For an industry that spends billions of dollars on logistics alone (the US Department of Defence DoD, for example, was estimated\u00a0to have spent\u00a0$1.194 billion on logistics operations in 2017),\u00a0it may prove to be more cost-effective to print custom parts, tools and spare parts near the point of use \u2013 a solution that additive manufacturing provides.<\/p>\n This could mean that soldiers in remote areas can also use 3D printing to their advantage. This has already been tested to some extent: back in 2012, the US army used an additive manufacturing facility in Afghanistan to print spare parts much more quickly than procuring them.<\/p>\n Modelling, test units and prototyping<\/strong><\/p>\n Additive manufacturing is an ideal solution for creating quick concept models and prototypes, and it is widely used in the defence industry to rapidly produce prototypes without the need for expensive tooling. Design concepts, as well as validation testing, can be done much faster, thereby shortening the product development cycle.<\/p>\n Replacement parts, tooling and maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n As military equipment is typically kept and used over a period of many years, the<\/p>\n defence industry relies heavily on spare and replacement parts. For years, outsourcing has been the most common way to procure these parts, with thousands of replacement parts and tools for military equipment sourced from external companies. Here, additive manufacturing becomes a viable option, as it facilitates the cost-effective and relatively quick production of parts and tools on demand. Many ships in the US Navy have 3D printers on board that are used for replacement parts, helping to maintain the aging fleet\u00a0without having to order a spare part or to return to a port.<\/p>\n Furthermore, technologies like Direct Energy Deposition (DED) and\u00a0Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing<\/a>\u00a0(WAAM) are already widely used to repair functional military equipment. Thanks to these technologies, worn surfaces of turbine blades and other\u00a0high-end equipment\u00a0can be restored and repaired. As replacement parts can quickly run out of stock,\u00a03D scanning techniques\u00a0can be used to\u00a0reverse engineer<\/a>\u00a0an available part, which then can be easily replicated via 3D printing.<\/p>\n Structural components for defence systems<\/strong><\/p>\n The first fighter with 3D-printed components onboard took flight in 2013, and since then, it\u2019s clear that additive manufacturing can make a significant impact in the production of end parts for military equipment. The defence industry is currently investigating the capabilities of direct additive manufacturing even more extensively, as the technology can help reduce production costs while producing complex lightweight components in small volumes. The applications of additive manufacturing here vary, from complex brackets and\u00a0small surveillance drones, to\u00a0jet engine components\u00a0and\u00a0submarine hulls. In addition to this,\u00a03D printed weapons like\u00a0grenade launchers\u00a0are already reality, with\u00a0missiles under development.<\/p>\n Quality assurance<\/b><\/p>\n Although military prototypes can be 3D printed quickly and cheaply, wider implementation of additive manufacturing for the production of end parts still faces a number of challenges.<\/p>\n One of the main concerns for the defence industry is quality assurance, as all parts must adhere to stringent performance requirements. Before additive manufacturing can be further integrated into the production of end parts, the military must be assured of the repeatability and accuracy of the AM production process. Currently, there are no fully defined industry standards for 3D printed parts in the defence industry. It is crucial to establish a comprehensive set of standards to govern 3D printing processes and qualify printed parts.<\/p>\n However, the US Department of Defence has already developed an\u00a0additive manufacturing roadmap, which is set to enable even larger uptake of the technology within the military. Automation software will also be vital in ensuring that this process remains transparent and repeatable and provide a comprehensive production management.<\/p>\n Skills gap<\/b><\/p>\nUsing Additive Manufacturing in the Military<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Key Benefits of AM for Defence<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Defence Applications for 3D Printing\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n