According to a study conducted, 75 per cent of industry leaders believe that 3D printing will become standard in the defence industry within the next ten years. Clearly, 3D printing is making a name for itself in the defence and military sectors, just as it has in other industries. Additive manufacturing has the potential to transform the defence industry by enabling new ways to 3D print replacement parts on demand while lowering production costs and opening up new design engineering possibilities.
As we continue to investigate the impact of additive manufacturing on various industries, today, we’ll look at how the defence industry has embraced 3D printing and the opportunities it offers military sectors.
Impact Of 3D Printing On The Defence Industry
The Military’s Use of Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing has the potential to open a slew of new opportunities for the defence industry, including lower production costs for tools and components, increased design flexibility, and localised manufacturing. Simultaneously, additive manufacturing has the potential to significantly improve military system maintenance by producing spare or obsolete parts.
The Australian Army announced a $1.5 million investment in a 12-month 3D technology pilot in 2020, followed by 3D printing training for soldiers and two trials of a large-format metal 3D printer, both installed on-base and deployed in the field for multiple Army exercises. The pilot project’s goal was to determine the suitability of this cutting-edge technology for military forces.
The Most Important Advantages of AM for Defence
1. Faster product development
Because it does not require tooling, additive manufacturing significantly speeds up the design process. Traditional manufacturing, on the other hand, can take months to produce the tools needed to create end parts and prototypes. The defence industry can use this technology to avoid costly and time-consuming tooling, reducing the time required for product development.
2. Design Liberty
The defence industry can also benefit from 3D printing’s ability to produce free-form, optimised objects. This means that using additive manufacturing, the weight of a part can be significantly reduced, saving material costs and production time. Design engineers can use advanced design tools to reduce the number of components in an assembly to one, greatly simplifying the assembly process.
3. Personalised Equipment
Not only does 3D printing allow for greater design freedom, but it also allows for the creation of customised parts that are tailored to specific functions. Rather than carrying spare parts for every possible configuration, soldiers can use 3D printing systems to create parts on the fly. Researchers in the Australian Army, for example, can now 3D print customised drone airframes tailored to the specific needs of a given mission. Customisable 3D printable designs are therefore critical for increasing military agility and flexibility.
4. On-Demand And Localized Production
Coordination of logistics and transportation accounts for a sizable portion of any military budget. For an industry that spends billions on logistics alone, it may be more cost-effective to print custom parts, tools, and spare parts close to the point of use – a solution that additive manufacturing provides.
5. Revolutionise Supply Chain
3D printing offers a one-of-a-kind technology that has the potential to change the way we think about supply chains. The technology has the potential to supplement existing supply and distribution methods in the defence industry. The collaboration exemplifies Defence’s ongoing investment in technology development and demonstrates how technological advancements can affect all aspects of defence.
To Wrap Up:
3D printing has the potential to meet critical defence needs in an increasingly complex military landscape. Additive manufacturing’s rapid, localised, and flexible manufacturing capabilities make it an ideal technology for an industry that relies on rapid innovation and technological advancements. To avail services related to 3D printing in Sydney, you can contact us anytime.
