We’ve received some extra information from final week’s RAPID+TCT to kick off at the moment’s 3D Printing Information Briefs, after which transferring on to some fascinating items of navy AM information. Learn on for all the small print!
SME Pronounces AM Awards & AM Pitchfest Winners
2025 AM Pitchfest Winners (Picture: SME)
All through RAPID+TCT final week, nonprofit SME introduced the winners of its 2025 Additive Manufacturing (AM) Awards and AM Pitchfest, given to rejoice the accomplishments of firms, people, and groups which have considerably impacted AM commercialization. First, the Digital Manufacturing Problem acknowledges the work of pupil groups who design, construct, and use infrastructure-level methods that deploy manufacturing options in renewable vitality, superior manufacturing, and sustainability. The workforce from DuPont Guide Excessive College gained for its “Sustainable and Efficient Composite Repairs Utilizing Novel 3D Printed Patch Designs,” whereas the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute & Cornell College undergraduate workforce gained for a “Micro Photo voltaic-based Steam-Powered Desalination Plant.” The graduate workforce from the College of Georgia gained for “Fabrication of Wind Turbine Blade Strong Wastes for Excessive-Efficiency Composite Fibers.” Shifting on, the Aubin AM Case Examine Award, which acknowledges revolutionary AM use instances, was given to Dimensional Vitality and Oak Ridge Nationwide Laboratory (ORNL) for his or her “Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Carbide Reactor Assemblies.” The runner-up was the workforce from Norsk Titanium and The Boeing Firm for “RPD® By The Numbers.”
The AM Startup Award is given to younger firms which have developed an AM software or expertise that makes use of a singular method or solves an present drawback. 3D Architech was the winner for its “Excessive-resolution Metallic Manufacturing for Vitality Effectivity,” and the 2 runners-up have been AMIS and Snowbird Applied sciences. The AM Pitchfest competitors is open to startups, tutorial spinoffs, and entrepreneurs that carry rising merchandise, expertise, and purposes to the market. Solideon gained for “Construct {Hardware} on the Pace of Software program,” and was given the possibility to exhibit at RAPID in a completely geared up sales space; the runner-up for this award was Kupros, Inc. Lastly, John Barnes, founder and president of The Barnes World Advisors and co-founder and CEO of Metallic Powder Works, was given the AM Trade Achievement Award. This acknowledges a workforce or particular person for his or her excellent accomplishments, utilized in a business or industrial surroundings, that majorly influence the adoption of AM in any business.
Our congratulations to all of the winners!
Phase3D Completes Air Power Chilly Spray Inspection System Deployment
Fringe Inspection™: Chilly Spray attaches to the robotic management arm and scans chilly spray deposits in the course of the 3D printing course of.
Backed by $1.25 million from the Air Power Analysis Laboratory (AFRL), superior 3D measurement applied sciences chief Phase3D has created and deployed its Fringe Inspection: Chilly Spray system, marking an enormous step in real-time, in-situ inspection for enhancing reliability and precision in aerospace and protection purposes. Chilly spray AM is used for restore and manufacturing throughout each of those sectors, however making certain dependable, constant high quality has been a difficulty. Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection system, focused right here for chilly spray AM, makes use of structured mild expertise to reinforce high quality management (QC) by offering real-time deposit inspection. The system provides real-time detection of defects like pitting, cratering, and cracking (seen on this article’s featured picture); assesses and measures spray deposit surfaces to confirm restore high quality; and permits technicians to optimize every thing by inspecting and dynamically adjusting the chilly spray course of. With a purpose to efficiently affirm its effectiveness in enhancing QC for aerospace and navy purposes, Fringe Inspection: Chilly Spray was examined and validated in an operational setting on the College of Dayton Analysis Institute (UDRI) and Ellsworth Air Power Base.
“The profitable completion of this challenge underscores the significance of real-time inspection in additive manufacturing. The deployment at Ellsworth AFB proves that structured mild inspection is a game-changer for chilly spray purposes,” stated Phase3D’s Founder and CEO Niall O’Dowd. “This expertise not solely ensures higher-quality repairs but additionally delivers vital value and time financial savings for the Air Power.”
This challenge was performed beneath the STTR Section II Proposal F2-16465 – In-Situ Monitoring for Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing contract, and achieved a number of essential milestones. Phase3D is now increasing the purposes of structured mild inspection throughout AM and industrial restore sectors, and collaborating with the Division of Protection and personal business companions to additional enhance chilly spray restore capabilities.
3D CAD Fashions & AM Enhancing Military Floor Automobile Readiness
A newly produced Battle Broken Restore & Fabrication half made on the Superior Manufacturing Middle of Excellence contained in the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Know-how Middle. The BDR&F program permits 3D printing expertise to supply alternative components rapidly and get navy automobiles again into the sector quicker. Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Know-how Middle develops, manufactures and delivers readiness options by way of typical and superior manufacturing processes for the U.S. Military and Division of Protection methods globally. (Photograph Credit score: Kendall Swank)
The Battle Harm Restore and Fabrication (BDRF) effort, led by the U.S. Military Tank-automotive Armaments Command (TACOM), is utilizing additive manufacturing to rapidly change broken Military floor car components, which decreases car down-time in formations and helps readiness. By utilizing 3D CAD fashions and 3D printers to make short-term replacements for components which might be out of date or have lengthy lead instances, the method helps to cut back the Military’s general logistics burden, and lengthen the lifespan of older platforms. For the previous yr, the U.S. Military DEVCOM Floor Automobile Programs Middle (GVSC)—with assist from Rock Island Arsenal’s Joint Manufacturing and Know-how Middle (RIA-JMTC)—has supported TACOM and its Built-in Logistics Assist Middle (ILSC) by way of assessments of over 40,000 car components, ensuing within the growth of greater than 600 3D CAD fashions. Scans of those components are uploaded to a database, and their 3D printed replacements are used quickly to assist hold battle-worn automobiles operational for longer. A few of the short-term alternative components which have come out of the BDRF program have even been proven to outperform the originals in exams, and have been submitted to this system supervisor for consideration as a extra everlasting secondary provide supply.
“Items are putting in these components on automobiles and bringing tools again to mission-capable standing. In collaboration with our companions, we hope to make use of 3D printing and different superior manufacturing strategies to generate readiness as far ahead on the sector as doable,” stated Michael Hansen, TACOM’s superior manufacturing lead.
3D Printed Kamikaze Drone Completes Flight on U.S. Military Take a look at Vary
Hellhound is a turbo-jet-powered, 3D printed kamikaze drone that may fly quicker than 375 miles per hour. Hellhound is designed to equip the U.S. Military’s Infantry Brigade Fight Groups with the identical deadly fight energy as Armored Brigades. (Rendering of Hellhound offered by Cummings Aerospace)
Lastly, Alabama-based Cummings Aerospace, a Native American Girl-Owned Small Enterprise, introduced that its 3D printed, turbojet-powered Hellhound S3 kamikaze drone accomplished its first demonstration flight in the course of the Military Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) 2025 at Fort Moore, Georgia. This was the primary flight of the unmanned plane system (UAS) on a U.S. Military take a look at vary, which demonstrates its tactical proficiency in an operation surroundings. The Hellhound S3, with its modular design, was designed to provide the Military’s Infantry Brigade Fight Groups (IBCTs) the identical fight energy as Armored Brigades have, so the groups can perform exact, long-range strikes towards armored automobiles, tanks, and fortified positions. On the AEWE, the drone, which weighs lower than 25 kilos and might reportedly fly at speeds of over 375 mph, accomplished a GPS-guided tactical mission utilizing an inert warhead payload. This not solely revalidated its airframe and key subsystems at Know-how Readiness Degree 7, but additionally gave firm engineers an opportunity to assemble essential suggestions from warfighters.
“Hellhound’s efficiency at AEWE 2025 highlighted a basic actuality — velocity issues, and quadcopters and prop-driven drones take too lengthy to get downrange. Whereas quadcopters and propeller-driven drones will nonetheless be puttering alongside behind pleasant traces, Hellhound will already be over the goal space, giving IBCTs the flexibility to strike quicker, attain deeper into the battlespace, and decisively interact fleeting, time-sensitive targets,” acknowledged Cummings Aerospace CEO Sheila Cummings.
Cummings Aerospace will conduct extra flight exams of the Hellhound S3 over the approaching months, and plans to submit a proposal formally providing the united statesto U.S. Military’s Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program.
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