We’ve obtained some extra information from final week’s RAPID+TCT to kick off right this moment’s 3D Printing Information Briefs, after which transferring on to some fascinating items of navy AM information. Learn on for all the main points!
SME Proclaims AM Awards & AM Pitchfest Winners
All through RAPID+TCT final week, nonprofit SME introduced the winners of its 2025 Additive Manufacturing (AM) Awards and AM Pitchfest, given to have fun the accomplishments of corporations, people, and groups which have considerably impacted AM commercialization. First, the Digital Manufacturing Problem acknowledges the work of scholar groups who design, construct, and use infrastructure-level techniques that deploy manufacturing options in renewable vitality, superior manufacturing, and sustainability. The crew from DuPont Handbook Excessive Faculty gained for its “Sustainable and Efficient Composite Repairs Utilizing Novel 3D Printed Patch Designs,” whereas the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute & Cornell College undergraduate crew gained for a “Micro Photo voltaic-based Steam-Powered Desalination Plant.” The graduate crew from the College of Georgia gained for “Fabrication of Wind Turbine Blade Stable Wastes for Excessive-Efficiency Composite Fibers.” Transferring on, the Aubin AM Case Examine Award, which acknowledges revolutionary AM use circumstances, was given to Dimensional Power and Oak Ridge Nationwide Laboratory (ORNL) for his or her “Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Carbide Reactor Assemblies.” The runner-up was the crew from Norsk Titanium and The Boeing Firm for “RPD® By The Numbers.”
The AM Startup Award is given to younger corporations which have developed an AM software or expertise that makes use of a novel strategy or solves an present downside. 3D Architech was the winner for its “Excessive-resolution Metallic Manufacturing for Power Effectivity,” and the 2 runners-up had been AMIS and Snowbird Applied sciences. The AM Pitchfest competitors is open to startups, tutorial spinoffs, and entrepreneurs that convey rising merchandise, expertise, and functions 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 totally 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 crew or particular person for his or her excellent accomplishments, utilized in a industrial or industrial surroundings, that majorly impression 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 throughout 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 functions. Chilly spray AM is used for restore and manufacturing throughout each of those sectors, however making certain dependable, constant high quality has been a problem. Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection system, focused right here for chilly spray AM, makes use of structured mild expertise to boost high quality management (QC) by offering real-time deposit inspection. The system gives 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 little thing by inspecting and dynamically adjusting the chilly spray course of. In an effort to efficiently affirm its effectiveness in enhancing QC for aerospace and navy functions, 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 undertaking 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 functions,” mentioned Phase3D’s Founder and CEO Niall O’Dowd. “This expertise not solely ensures higher-quality repairs but in addition delivers vital price and time financial savings for the Air Power.”
This undertaking was carried out underneath 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 functions 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 Bettering Military Floor Car Readiness
A newly produced Battle Broken Restore & Fabrication half made on the Superior Manufacturing Heart of Excellence contained in the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Expertise Heart. The BDR&F program permits 3D printing expertise to supply alternative elements shortly and get navy autos again into the sphere quicker. Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Expertise Heart develops, manufactures and delivers readiness options by means of standard and superior manufacturing processes for the U.S. Military and Division of Protection techniques globally. (Photograph Credit score: Kendall Swank)
The Battle Injury Restore and Fabrication (BDRF) effort, led by the U.S. Military Tank-automotive Armaments Command (TACOM), is utilizing additive manufacturing to shortly exchange broken Military floor car elements, which decreases car down-time in formations and helps readiness. By utilizing 3D CAD fashions and 3D printers to make non permanent replacements for elements which can be out of date or have lengthy lead occasions, the method helps to scale back the Military’s total logistics burden, and lengthen the lifespan of older platforms. For the previous 12 months, the U.S. Military DEVCOM Floor Car Programs Heart (GVSC)—with assist from Rock Island Arsenal’s Joint Manufacturing and Expertise Heart (RIA-JMTC)—has supported TACOM and its Built-in Logistics Help Heart (ILSC) by means of assessments of over 40,000 car elements, ensuing within the growth of greater than 600 3D CAD fashions. Scans of those elements are uploaded to a database, and their 3D printed replacements are used quickly to assist preserve battle-worn autos operational for longer. A number of the non permanent alternative elements which have come out of the BDRF program have even been proven to outperform the originals in checks, and had been submitted to this system supervisor for consideration as a extra everlasting secondary provide supply.
“Models are putting in these elements on autos and bringing gear again to mission-capable standing. In collaboration with our companions, we hope to make use of 3D printing and different superior manufacturing methods to generate readiness as far ahead on the sphere as attainable,” mentioned 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 supplied 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 throughout 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 present 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 autos, tanks, and fortified positions. On the AEWE, the drone, which weighs lower than 25 kilos and may 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 Expertise Readiness Degree 7, but in addition 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 further flight checks 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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