3D printer OEM 3D Systems has won a $15 million contract to develop "the world's largest metal 3D printer" for the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and has now announced many new details of the project.
The metal system has nine lasers and a large construction room measuring 1m x 1m x 600mm, which will be used to meet the needs of the armed forces for ammunition, ground vehicles, helicopters and missile defense. In addition to the system itself, 3D Systems is also developing supplementary materials, software and services to provide more comprehensive products. After the Army’s installation, as long as certain aviation and defense companies benefit the US Army to some extent, the machine will be available to certain aviation and defense companies.
Stephanie Koch, Senior Manufacturing, Materials and Process Planning Manager of ARL, pointed out: "When we embarked on this project, we needed a faster way to produce the key components of the main ground combat subsystem. The progress of the project so far It is huge. We look forward to gradually developing a comprehensive production solution in the next few months, which will implement innovative new features to solve the problem of excessive transformation."
Advanced optics for advanced systems
By October 2020, the first test print of the new system has been completed. The key components of the machine are based on the components in the company's mature direct metal printing (DMP) series of 3D printers. This includes the optical system, which provides its own molten pool monitoring system for each of the nine lasers, thereby improving part quality control. Due to the use of almost the same optical system, the new machine can also utilize the company's existing extensive library of qualified materials.
3D Systems also integrated six high-contrast single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras into the machine's construction room, allowing on-site monitoring. The camera provides a top-down view, which means that the user does not need to perform image processing. In addition to the powder bed image, the system's firmware can also capture sensor data, position data and molten pool data, and sort all the data into a SQL database to fully understand the parts.
Chuck Hull, the co-founder and CTO of 3D Systems, added: “3D Systems upholds the spirit of innovation, and our customers have played a key role in catalyzing this process. Our cooperation with ARL has allowed us to increase research and development efforts and make ARL Many industry firsts have been achieved on the road to reach its goals. Our achievements in the first phase of the project will provide impetus for the next phase, which will help us help ARL expand its capabilities and strengthen its supply chain."
Improve material efficiency
Unlike traditional PBF 3D printers, 3D Systems' machine operates with a selective powder deposition process, which means it limits the use of powder only by depositing materials where needed. The build chamber of the system also has a heating plate, which can reduce thermal stress and improve deposition quality.
In addition, the company's previously developed vacuum chamber concept has been integrated, keeping the oxygen content below 25 ppm (instead of 500-1000 ppm). In this way, the argon gas consumed by the machine is approximately one-tenth of the usable metal 3D printer, so that the parts have a higher chemical purity, a higher proportion of reusable powder and a lower operating cost.
This is not the first instance of the armed forces turning to 3D printing technology. Researchers at the US Army Aviation Medical Research Laboratory have previously used 3D printing to produce and test customizable earplugs for their soldiers. The new technology of Army scientists can be used to protect the ears to prevent the hearing loss of soldiers on the battlefield.
Recently, the U.S. Army expanded its digital twin dismantling project, which initially involved the disassembly of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter for 3D scanning of its 3D components. The project was announced in October and will now be used to manufacture spare parts for aircraft, tanks, and even provide VR training for members of the armed forces.