US military foresees growing use of 3D printing
A 3D-printed small uncrewed aerial system produced by the 101st Airborne Division. (Photo: US Army)
Advanced manufacturing has evolved to meet military requirements and now supports multiple US critical assets, including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, F-18, F-22, F-35, Bradley, HMMWV and Patriot.
The use of advanced manufacturing has been increasing across the US Pentagon as its branches and agencies have been partnering with industry and academia to improve 3D printers to better meet military requirements. This approach involves combining artificial intelligence (AI), digital engineering, tailored alloys and more secure ways to access data.
“Additive manufacturing [3D printing] is evolving from experimental prototyping to a mission-critical capability,” Barrett Veldsman, founder and CEO of Defend3D – a US Department of Defense (DoD) supplier of 3D printing solutions – told Shephard. “The trajectory is strongly upward. Additive manufacturing is now seen as a strategic enabler for
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