ICON is known for 3D printing homes and communities in Mexico and Central Texas, and has been using DIU (Defense Innovation Department) and USMC to make prototypes of various structures using technologies that combine 3D robotics, software, and advanced materials. In January 2019, the Marine Corps received software, robotics, and material delivery subsystem training in the ICON laboratory, with the goal of conducting live demonstrations in the future to build structures important for expeditionary engineering.
After the successful training course, the team embarked on a journey from the laboratory to the field for 3D printing and stood up the wagon structure at Pendleton Camp. With only a few hours of on-site training and ICON operators masking the scene, the Marine Corps took over the main operator of the equipment from start to finish during printing. This technology provides tablet-based system control, even a brand-new operator can provide high-quality printing.
The Department of Defense Innovation (DIU) is committed to accelerating the introduction of commercial technology into the Department of Defense (DoD) to demonstrate the use of commercial-scale additive manufacturing for military purposes. DIU has been working with USMC to utilize commercial technology in military-scale building-scale additive manufacturing, and in the future to expand the entire range of services to provide rapid expeditionary construction capabilities.
This will simultaneously support global military operations and crisis response efforts. ICON has been using DIU and USMC to combine 3D robotics, software, and advanced materials technology to make prototypes of various structures. In January 2019, the Marine Corps received software, robotics, and material delivery subsystem training in the ICON laboratory, with the purpose of conducting live demonstrations in the future to build structures important for expeditionary engineering.
After the successful training course, the team embarked on a journey from the laboratory to the field for 3D printing and stood up the wagon structure at Pendleton Camp. After only a few hours of on-site training and masking the ICON operator on-site, the Marine Corps took over the main operator of the equipment from start to finish during printing. This technology provides tablet-based system control, even a brand-new operator can provide high-quality printing.
At the beginning of the project, the goal was to complete the printing within 40-48 hours, and while speeding up the Marine Corps, it was expected to reduce the efficiency of troubleshooting. Some recent automation upgrades have improved the accuracy of the material conveying system and brought considerable benefits, and the printing process was completed within 36 hours, and troubleshooting time was almost zero. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to transfer our technical control to USMC. This marks the first time that non-ICON employees have become the main operators of our equipment. They have done a great job in printing the structure of vehicle leather covers,” ICON Field Operations Director Michael Harper said.
ICON’s Vulcan 3D printer weighs 3,800 pounds and can print up to 2,000 square feet. In 2019, Vulcan printed 400-500 square feet of house structure in Mexico and the United States: 3D printed 4 arches, and then named it 26′ long x 13′ wide x 15′ high wagon structure. The printing of the wagon structure takes 3 and a half days, which takes about 36 hours (if you can work in a 24-hour shift a day, you can achieve the ability to print continuously to completion). The material used Lavacrete is a proprietary cement-based material with a PSI of 6,000 crew: 8 Marine Corps soldiers were trained on ICON’s Vulcan and Magma operations, and 3-4 people were actively involved in rotation at a time.
Dmitri Julius, Vice President of Operations at ICON, said: “Providing cutting-edge tools to improve the Marine Corps’ mission capabilities and seeing their unique opportunities to master the technology in the past month makes us proud.” “As a retired USMC veteran, I am proud of this legendary organization is proud to cooperate. Our desire is to establish a long-term cooperative relationship and hand over 3D printers to the Marine Corps for garrison and landing. The humanitarian applications are also endless, building useful for our bravest soldiers and women The structural capabilities are indeed huge.”