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3D Printing Financials: ExOne 27% Revenue Drop, Employee Layoffs and Government Contract in Q2 2020

Pioneer and global leader in binder jet 3D printing technology ExOne has posted a year-on-year revenue fall of 27% for their second-quarter earnings report. Company officials said challenging market conditions and future uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to put a strain on ExOne, particularly the disruptions to domestic and international shipping and the negative macroeconomic effects. In response to the global crisis, the company took several cost-saving actions, including a mix of employee terminations, furloughs, and pay rate reductions in an effort to save close to $2 million for the April through June quarter. Nonetheless, it is optimistic that a record backlog, increased liquidity, a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, and a growing interest in 3D printing from companies worldwide will increase revenues in the future.

Heavily disarrayed supply chains brought chaos as lockdown impositions around the world meant factories were shut down and transportation was disrupted. As the year’s second-quarter earnings season took off, we have witnessed countless companies inform revenue declines mainly due to the impacts of the pandemic and various curtailment measures. In the statement released on August 6, 2020, ExOne said the revenue for this period totaled $11.1 million, down from $15.3 million in Q2 2019, claiming its revenue decline resulted from a 47% decrease in earnings from 3D printing machines driven by lower volumes (eight units sold in the current quarter versus 13 in the prior-year period) and an unfavorable mix of machines sold. This decrease was partially offset by a 3% increase in revenue attributable to 3D printed and other products, materials, and services driven by funded research and development contracts.

ExOne Q2 2020 revenue summary. (Image courtesy of ExOne)

Following the report’s release, ExOne’s stock was trading at $9.90, a 1.44% increase compared to the previous day. On March 11, 2020, when COVID-19 reached pandemic status, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), company stock was trading at $5.16 and since then, its shares have increased by 95% and are now at $10.07.

ExOne’s CEO, John Hartner, said on an earnings call that the results showcase how ExOne business has truly differentiated within the 3D market and that during the second quarter they made contingent progress towards a more predictable revenue model delivering recurring revenues of $6.2 million, a year-on-year increase of 3%. Hartner explained that this is largely due to the growth in the company’s install base, funded R&D, and other engineering development services. He also particularly highlighted the continued growth of an already strong backlog to $38.2 million, a new record level that, he expects, will continue to support revenue predictability for some time. As well as a stable gross margin of 27.8% and a total liquidity increase to $29.7 million from $26.8 million on March 31, 2020.

“The fundamentals that support our business remain highly favorable, it may even be enhanced by the current market conditions. ExOne is part of a ten billion dollar 3D printing industry that is growing at double-digit rates and remains relatively young […],” explained the CEO. “We believe our binder jetting technology is in a sweet spot, as manufacturers look for smart and sustainable supply chain solutions that link into a new industry 4.0 dynamic.”

Record backlog for ExOne during Q2 2020. (Image courtesy of ExOne)

Although Hartner revealed that the operating results continue to be impacted by a prolonged downturn in the global manufacturing sector, which has in turn influenced the capital expenditures of its customers, he remains confident that Pennsylvania-headquartered ExOne can better the situation. Mainly through the combination of its encouraging backlog, robust front-of-sales funnel, traction in new contracts, recurring revenue stream, and accelerated market adoption of binder jetting technology to provide the basis for operating stability for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021.

Despite machine unit sales in Q2 being at 57% of Q1 2020, investments still remain focused on the further development of binder jetting technology, including the X1 160PRO metal 3D printing system, which is poised to move metal 3D printing into high volume production. The team of engineers behind its fabrication continues to receive many inbound requests and is already producing the first machine for its customers, remaining on target with the original release plans, and expecting first shipments by the end of 2020.

Machine unit sales for ExOne during Q2 2020. (Image courtesy of ExOne)

A focus on government R&D and adoption projects has provided diversified strength during the capital spending downturn for ExOne. The company revealed a significant contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a field-deployable binder jet 3D printer. The recently awarded $1.6 million contract is part of ExOne’s program development contracts with the U.S. government and companies that want to ramp up the engineering work associated with getting a production 3D print cell and workflow off the ground.

On this point, Hartner suggested that part of the growth in these contracts, which are recognized as recurring revenue, is leading towards future production machine sales. Beyond government awards, ExOne also has engaged several global manufacturers in the automotive, medical, and consumer goods industry on production program developments. Further revealing that at least one of these companies is planning to use the printers to modernize and decentralize the supply chain in key locations around the world.

The X1 160PRO from ExOne. (Image courtesy of ExOne)

Claiming to be the only binder jet 3D printing provider with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for the direct printing of metals and ceramics in addition to sand molds and cores, ExOne expects to have a key competitive advantage by offering customers manufacturing flexibility through its more than 20 material printing capability. Last November, the company unveiled its tenth metal printer, the X1 160PRO, in what 3DPrint.com considered “a solid move towards a more production-oriented 3D printing industry.” Moreover, in two months, it expects to surround the new production 3D printers with a complete and intelligent workflow to enhance the user experience, from applications to monitor the 3D printers to entirely new 3D printing networks. Part of this has already been announced as the company revealed an entirely new Scout App to monitor industrial 3D printers and launched a new Sand 3D Printing Network, powered by more than 40 industrial binder jetting systems. Hartner suggested these are the first steps in broader long term plans to include new automation and software tools that are currently in development.

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US Air Force 3D Prints Part for $2.2 Billion Stealth Bomber

The mission of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s B-2 Program Office is to ensure the B-2 Spirit bomber jets stay relevant and in-flight through the early 2030s until replaced by its stealthier new version, the B-21s. To extend the life of the deadly aircraft and keep the existing B-2 bomber fleet ready and active for future missions, aerospace engineers at the B-2 Program Office turned to additive manufacturing. The technology was used to create a permanent protective cover that prevents the unintentional activation of the airframe mounted accessory drive (AMAD) decouple switch, which controls the connection of the engines to the hydraulic and generator power of the aircraft.

Each one of the 20 B-2 aircraft has a four-switch panel AMAD that sits on the left side of the two-person cockpit. When all switches are activated simultaneously, the crew has no choice but to eject as the aircraft will be without electrical and hydraulic power. In 2018, a B-2 jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Colorado Springs after the crew flipped one of the switches, forcing the B-2 Program Office to come up with an innovative solution to solve the critical issue.

At the time, B-2 pilot and commander of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, John J. Nichols, turned to a team of students at Knob Noster High School, also in Missouri, that designed and 3D printed prototype AMAD panel covers in 72 hours at $1.25 a piece. Now, the B-2 Program Office has come up with 20 new additively manufactured covers that cost approximately $4,000 and will be delivered to the fleet in late 2020 or early 2021.

Students from the Knob Noster High School robotics team designed a protective panel that covers four switches in the cockpit of the B-2 Stealth Bomber (Image courtesy of US Air Force/ Sgt. Kayla White)

“Additive manufacturing is the way of the future,” said Roger Tyler, an aerospace engineer with the B-2 Program Office. “The B-2 is a low volume fleet. There’s only 20 of them, so anytime something needs to be done on the aircraft, cost can be an issue. But with additive manufacturing, we can design something and have it printed within a week and keep costs to a minimum.”

The development of the covers was aided by the Additive Manufacturing Design Rule Book, which was created by the Product Support Engineering Division, part of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC). According to Jason McDuffie, Chief of the Air Force Metals Technology Office (MTO), the rule book provides design guidelines and lessons learned in the additive manufacturing field, specifically the use of direct metal laser melting and fuse deposition modeling technologies, and has been applied to help create a variety of important parts for the Air Force.

3D printed protective cover for the airframe mounted accessory drive decouple switch in B-2 aircraft (Image courtesy of US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center)

“This part [AMAD cover] is unique, and there was never a commercial equivalent to it, so we had to develop it in-house,” Tyler added. “Additive manufacturing allowed us to rapidly prototype designs, and through multiple iterations, the optimum design for the pilots and maintainers were created. We have completed the airworthiness determination and are currently in the final stages to get the covers implemented on the B-2 fleet, which will be the first additively manufactured part to be approved and installed on the B-2.”

The B-2 stealth bomber (Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman/US Air Force)

Originally created to evade radar detection and attack without warning from the Soviet Union’s command and control centers during the Cold War, no B-2’s have ever actually flown over Russian aerospace. Even so, over its 31-year life span, the B-2 Spirit bomber has been a veteran of several conflict operations, from Iraq and Afghanistan to the war in Kosovo, where it took out 33 percent of the Serbian targets in eight weeks. Described by its manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, as “practically indestructible”, the B-2 can fly 6,000 miles without the need to refuel, and the capacity to haul in excess of 20 tons of weapons in any weather completely undetected.

At $2.2 billion per aircraft, it is one of the most expensive warplanes ever made, capable of delivering large and precision-guided weaponry, both conventional and nuclear. Yet, up until now, the B-2 has only been used to drop non-nuclear bombs. For decades, experts have warned against deploying mission bombers with nuclear weapons that might trigger an accidental nuclear war, and this comes as no surprise, with nine nuclear-armed states possessing an estimated 13,400 weapons, the risk always remains latent – even more so with sophisticated bombers like B-2 that cannot be detected.

The B-2 stealth bomber (Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman/US Air Force)

As the world’s only known stealth bomber, the aircraft continues to be a display of military force for the U.S., especially amid escalating tensions with countries like North Korea, China, and Russia. Recently, the B-2 Spirit bombers were deployed in the South China Sea amid a military exercise drill with troops practicing how to seize back the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam from an “invading” force; most likely as a response to China stepping up defensive military operations and exercises around Taiwan. In spite of its many years in the US Air Force fleet, the B-2 continues to be one of the most feared aircraft ever built, which is why sustainment modifications today remain an important aspect of the B-2 program, from coming up with cost-effective ways to repair and maintain the jets to teaming up with Northrop Grumman to ensure the units remain mission capable.

The U.S. Air Force often requires low-cost creative ways to replace parts on many of its aircraft. As such, it has already launched numerous research initiatives into additively manufacturing parts, from creating 3D printed replacement parts for F-35 fighter jets to saving thousands of dollars by using 3D printing to make cup handles and modify standard-issue gas masks. The latest 3D printed protective cover could become a great solution for an underlying problem that has already caused some havoc to B-2 pilots. For high operating cost aircraft like the B-2 (at a reported $122,000 per flight hour), repairs can be equally costly, but in-house production technologies like additive manufacturing can help aerospace engineers tasked with maintaining decades-old jets up to date and working as stealthily as they did 30 years ago.

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Replacement Parts for Assault Amphibious Vehicle 3D Printed with HP’s Metal Jet

In 2018, HP announced that it was entering the metal side of the additive marketing industry with the introduction of its Metal Jet technology. While Metal Jet has been used for applications in the automotive industry, the United States Marine Corps is now adopting it to make parts for a very different kind of vehicle: the 26-ton, bulletproof AAV, or Assault Amphibious Vehicle. Nicknamed the AmTrac, AAVs have been carrying over 20 humans and a storehouse of supplies safely back to shore since 1972, chugging through the water at eight mph. There are over 1,000 vehicles in the fleet, all of which will be phased out of operation in the next two decades.

An AAV (Assault Amphibious Vehicle)

Unfortunately, because the AAVs are set to retire, private manufacturers that have long made replacement parts for the vehicles are less enticed to do so now. This is causing a negative effect on the USMC supply chain: AAVs are sitting around unused, and Marines may even go to battle without them.

Kristin Holzworth, chief scientist for the Marine Corps Systems Command’s Advanced Manufacturing Operations Cell, stated, “This is a critical part of our future, ensuring readiness of those in uniform.”

HP Metal Jet

That’s why the AAV program is turning to HP’s Metal Jet technology to 3D print replacement parts by the hundreds, like bolts and brackets, couplings and cranks, at California manufacturing company Parmatech.

“We go into some pretty remote areas and the supply chain is just not available to us yet. So, the ability to make our own parts at the point of need is critically important,” said Scott Adams, a civilian member of the USMC.

Most of these parts were previously made with subtractive manufacturing, but, by using metal 3D printing, they can be mass produced much more quickly. Metal Jet printers can place up to 630 million nanogram-sized drops of liquid binder per second onto the powder bed, and a polymer binds the metal particles together during the process to make high-strength parts.

“Being able to clasp (what used to require) 50 different, subtractive-manufacturing lines into a couple of prints, you almost can’t even put words to that. The efficiencies that are likely to come from that are absolutely astronomical,” said USMC Col. Patrick M. Col. Tucker, commanding officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 15 at Camp Pendleton, California, where marines train in AAVs.

Examples of replacement parts 3D printed for AAVs.

A Marine Corps analysis conducted in April found that many AAVs have to wait, on average, 140 days for replacement parts, some of which have been back-ordered for over a year.

“It takes those Assault Amphibious Vehicles offline. As of (April 1), here at Camp Pendleton, we had 41 of our 214 vehicles in maintenance. It’s a very important platform to our combat readiness,” explained Col. Tucker, who served in the Iraq War and helps manage the Metal Jet program.

Additionally, Metal Jet 3D printing allows the soldiers to fabricate assemblies of multiple pieces as a single part, rather than welding them together.

Sgt. Jonathan Anderson, part of the 1st Supply Battalion at Camp Pendleton, said, “It gets rid of welds period, which is absolutely amazing. A weld is always a weak point. We are actually increasing the life cycle of these parts and potentially increasing the life cycle of the vehicle.”

At the moment, fewer AAVs can be used for training at Camp Pendleton, and even out in the field at distant bases, due to current part shortages.

Col. Tucker noted, “In extreme times where we have a kinetic operation, you could foresee that we may have to send (Marine) units without that.”

Soon, the 3D-printed AAV parts in the Metal Jet program will enter the first testing phase to make sure that they function properly in test vehicles and have accurate size and weight. Holzworth says that it’s “promising work” and that all parts tested so far have passed. In the second part of testing, the parts will be installed into the test AAV, which will then be driven in order to test the reliability.

One of the 1,024 AAVs the US Marine Corps hopes to outfit with 3D-printed replacement parts

Once the testing is complete, the retiring AAV fleet will be serviced much more quickly.

“It’s all about equipment readiness, and about our ability to deploy into an area or to sustain ourselves while we are there,” said Adams, who is on the team working to equip AAVs with 3D printed parts.

Col. Tucker states that the AAV is a “good Guinea pig tester,” but notes that the team is also looking into other USMC platforms that may benefit from the use of Metal Jet technology. Additionally, the program could have further reaching ramifications for the entire US military.

Because the Marine Corps is so small, it has what Col. Tucker calls a “shallow” supply chain, which means that the parts it needs aren’t as big as what the US Army uses. And just like with the AAV replacement parts, industrial manufacturers aren’t as inclined to use their machines to make the parts. Also, because the USMC works to defend our country’s interests all around the world, this small supply chain is often strained as well.

“That’s why something like rapid metal is so interesting. This capability would allow us to move around that problem,” Col. Tucker said.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Source/Images: HP)

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Wichita State University & Army 3D Print Parts for Aging Black Hawk Helicopters

A recent collaboration between U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and Wichita State University will enhance the helicopter fleet for this division of the military. Researchers from the National Institute for Aviation Research are currently working with both organizations to dismantle a UH-60L Black Hawk for the purposes of making a digital replica.

NIAR researchers will begin by 3D scanning parts and, while this is an undertaking in itself, they must first take apart components like the airframes from a helicopter that is operational. For this project, a separate fuselage is also being delivered to the University from Corpus Christi Army Depot. The focus is the Lima helicopter model, which has actually been out of production for the past 15 years, although some parts are as old as 40 years.

Wichita State University researchers will disassemble a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter to capture a 3D scan of each structural part. (Image: Wichita State University)

“Digital-twin technology provides a virtual environment that facilitates the crawl, walk, run training philosophy that enables Soldiers to develop confidence in a simulated environment before performing the task on an actual aircraft,” said AMCOM Command Sgt. Maj. Mike Dove. “Virtual environments enable a task to be taught through distance learning with the subject matter expert thousands of miles away.”

While knowledge of 3D printing may still be relatively new to the general public, it is hardly a novelty to the military or other organizations, like NASA, who have been making use of additive manufacturing processes for decades whether for rapid prototyping or functional—and critical—parts.

The benefits of such technology are evidenced in full force for this recent project, offering huge savings on the bottom line in terms of maintenance for the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, but also fast production, the potential for creating parts that are lighter and offer better performance, as well as the opportunity for making items that may not have even been previously possible with traditional methods.

As obsolescence becomes a problem for other divisions of the military, too, trying to keep up with equipment maintenance and repairs, some parts may be difficult to find, taking months to track down, or they may not even be available at all anymore. 3D printing offers much more than a quick fix. By 3D scanning parts of older machines, industrial users are able to replicate items that may have become outdated—offering indefinite longevity to aging fleets.

Modifications can easily be made, and quickly so. This is true also for automotive applications, train manufacturers, and other divisions of the military as they work to keep equipment like Navy ships properly maintained.

“The intent is to enable readiness across the Army and the UH-60 fleets in the joint service and the applicable foreign military sales environment,” AMCOM Commander Maj. Gen. Todd Royar said in a statement. “At the same time, we generate new opportunities to provide parts that are obsolete, low-volume or small quantity. The result is reduced operation and sustainment costs.”

“It takes this team of teams’ approach that will benefit not just the military but also academia and industry.”

Officials stated in a recent press release that the purpose of re-creating helicopter parts with 3D scanning and 3D printing for better maintenance will ‘resolve challenges and boost efficiencies’ for aircraft like the Black Hawk, and the Lima model.

“Our goal is to develop a prototype capability which will transition into not just existing platforms within the Department of Defense but identify the digital engineering requirements for future platform development,” said Maj. Sam Gray, Program Manager for the Strategic Capabilities Office. “It will be of great benefit to the Army if we can reduce sustainment costs and increase readiness for the UH-60L. This is a unique opportunity to bring a game-changing technology to the sustainment and logistics fields.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be a “solid candidate” for the Senate seat of retiring Republican Pat Roberts. Moran was at a Wichita event with Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy. (Sept. 5, 2019). Image: Wichita Eagle.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts; join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Wichita State University; Wichita Eagle]

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West Point: Bioprinting for Soldiers in the Battlefield

Last summer, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Jason Barnhill traveled to an undisclosed desert location in Africa with a ruggedized 3D printer and other basic supplies that could be used to biofabricate for field medical care, such as human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs). The aim was to discover how a 3D bioprinter could expedite healing and even replace damaged tissue for troops injured in combat.

Jason Barnhill with a 3D bioprinter that could replace damaged tissues for troops injured on the battlefield. (Image: Military Health System/West Point)

Barnhill, who is the life science program director of the United States Military Academy West Point Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences, is leading a project with a team of cadets working on experiments to advance bioprinting research in the field with an ultimate goal to develop technology for creating wound-healing biologics, bandages, and more for soldiers on-site or near the point-of-care. According to U.S. Army news, 26 first-class cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, in New York, are doing bioprinting research across seven different projects: two teams are working on biobandages for burn and field care; other two teams are working on how to bioengineer blood vessels to enable other bioprinted items that require a blood source, such as organs, to be viable; while one team is working on printing a viable meniscus, and another team is looking to print a liver.

“A lot of this has to do with the bioink that we want to use, exactly what material we’re using as our printer ink, if you will,” explained Class of 2020 cadet Allen Gong, a life science major conducting research for the meniscus project. “Once we have that 3D model where we want it, then it’s just a matter of being able to stack the ink on top of each other properly.”

Gong, along with his teammates, are researching how to use bioinks to create a meniscus that could be implanted into a soldier’s injured knee, while other cadets are seeking to print a liver that could be used to test medicine and maybe one day eliminate the shortage of transplantable organs. This is not the first time we hear the U.S. Army is using bioprinting for regenerative medicine, after all, they often suffer from trauma, resulting in loss of limbs, injuries to the face and severe burns. Deployed soldiers confront the risks of battle on a daily basis. However, being able to have immediate access to specialized bioprinters created to solve catastrophic medical injuries could be the dream-scenario solution many have been waiting for.

In 2014, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM), established by the Department of Defense, were using 3D bioprinters extensively for skin repair research; but the Army is also actively developing artificial 3D printed hearts, blood vessels, and other organs in a quest to develop customizable and 3D printed medicine. Barnhill’s pilot program in 2019, conducted by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) in collaboration with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has shown that a 3D printer capable of biofabrication could potentially change the way deployed warfighters receive care also. Under his direction, the 3D printer successfully fabricated a number of products, including a scalpel capable of immediate use and a hemostat (a surgical tool used to control bleeding during surgery and capable of gripping objects) while locking them into place to hold a tissue or other medical implements. The tools were made of a material that could be sterilized on-site, reducing the chance of infection during practical use.

Common combat injuries include second and third-degree burns, broken bones, shrapnel wounds, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, nerve damage, paralysis, loss of sight and hearing, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and limb loss. Many of these injuries could be tackled with customizable, on-site bioprinting machines, but for now, the cadets on each of the teams are in the beginning stages of their research before starting the actual printing process. This stage includes reading the research already available in their area of focus and learning how to use the printers, and after spring break, they will have their first chance to start printing with cells. The teams focusing on biobandage, meniscus, and liver will try to print a tangible product by the end of the semester as part of the initial research.

Another cadet and life science major working on the meniscus project, Thatcher Shepard, described in the U.S. Army article that “there are definitely some leaps before we can get to that point [of actually implanting what they print]. We have to make sure the body doesn’t reject the new bioprinted meniscus and also the emplacement. There can be difficulties with that. Right now, we’re trying to just make a viable meniscus, then, we’ll look into further research to be able to work on methods of actually placing it into the body.”

They claim that the meniscus team is starting with magnetic resonance images (MRI) of knees and working to build a 3D model of a meniscus, which they will eventually be able to print. A great deal of the team’s research will be figuring out how and when to implant those cells into the complex cellular structure they are printing.

Cadets at West Point Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences (Image: West Point)

According to Michael Deegan, another life science major and cadet working on one of the blood vessel projects, for now, it will involve a lot of research into what has already been done in the field and the questions that still need to be answered. He described the experience as “kind of like putting the cart before the horse.” Saying that “you’ve printed it, great, but what’s the point of printing it if it’s not going to survive inside your body? Being able to work on that fundamental step that’s actually going to make these organs viable is what drew me and my teammates to be able to do this.” Deegan and his colleagues will eventually decide on the scope and direction of their projects, knowing that their research will be key to allowing other areas of the field to move forward, since organs, such as livers and pancreases, have been printed, but so far, they can only be produced at the micro level because they have no blood flow.

While generating organs and blood vessels will be one of the great benefits of customized medicine in the future, the work behind the biobandage teams could have a direct use in the field during combat. The U.S. Army suggests that the goal is to be able to take cells from an injured soldier, specifically one who suffered burns and print a bandage with built-in biomaterial on it to jumpstart the healing process. Medical personnel could potentially be deployed with a 3D printer in their Forward Operating Base or it could be sent along in a column with a Humvee to enable bandages to be printed on-site.

“We’re researching how the body actually heals from burns,” said Channah Mills, a life science major working on one of the biobandage projects. “So, what are some things we can do to speed along that process? Introducing a bandage could kickstart that healing process. The faster you start healing, the less scarring and the more likely you’re going to recover.” “Being on the forefront of it and just seeing the potential in bioengineering, it’s pretty astounding,” Gong said. “But it has also been sobering just to see how much more complicated it is to 3D print biomaterials than plastic.”

At the moment, the projects are building on existing research on printing sterile bandages and then adding a bioengineering element. The bandages would be printed with specialized skin and stem cells necessary for the healing process.

More than half of the cadets working on the bioprinting projects plan to continue on to medical school following their graduation from West Point. This research, which will be presented during the academy’s annual Projects Day on April 30, is a great starting point for the future army doctors, as they begin to understand and work on some of the more complex technologies that could become their allies in the future, helping them heal soldiers in the field.

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Australian Army Enters 3D Printing Pilot Program, Partnering with SPEE3D & CDU

3D printing will soon be assisting members of the military in Australia, as a 12-month pilot training program has begun in a $1.5 million partnership with SPEE3D and Charles Darwin University (CDU).

The Australian Minister of Defense Industry, the Hon. Melissa Price MP, has announced that soldiers mostly from 1st Combat Service Support Battalion (1 CSSB) will be training in 3D printing, using the large-format WarpSPEE3D 3D metal printer to be on-site at Darwin’s Robertson Barracks—and then deployed for field use as needed for military exercises by the Australian Army.

SPEE3D CEO Byron Kennedy points out that this is ‘another significant announcement’ for both the military and his company:

“This program with the Australian Army, in parallel with a similar project with the Royal Australian Navy announced in November last year, will enable the Australian Defense Force to grow our sovereign capability and lead the world in the field of additive manufacturing.”

With the new ability to 3D print parts on-demand with innovative metal technology, the goal is for the Australian Army to ‘enhance lines of logistics, ‘according to a recent press release sent to 3DPrint.com.

This trial represents the culmination of a proposal submitted last year, with the mission to overhaul the supply chain for the military. Lieutenant Colonel Kane Wright, Commanding Officer 1 CSSB, explained that this initiative will allow the Army to keep up with ‘the accelerated nature of warfare.’

“This partnership with CDU and SPEE3D shows that we as an army are looking to the future and embracing advanced technologies to speed up our processes,” continued Wright. “At maturity we see it becoming an essential enabler that will redefine how logistics is employed to support our dependencies on the future battlefield.

“This will reduce the requirement to deploy with bulky holdings of multiple repair parts, hence increasing mobility and survivability and reducing time waiting for new parts to create greater resilience in the supply chain.”

The first ten weeks of training are taking place at CDU’s Casuarina Campus, with military personnel trained by researchers skilled in 3D printing, covering:

Fundamentals of design
3D modeling
3D printing
Testing & evaluation of developed parts

“This 3D printing technology has the potential to change the way many industries, including defense, design, manufacture and supply parts,” said CDU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Simon Maddocks upon visiting soldiers performing classwork. ““CDU has become a center of excellence in exploring and applying this new technology and we’re pleased to have such eager professional soldiers join us to learn this new skill set.”

The Royal Australian Navy also began a trial program last November—again, with SPEE3D and CDU, streamlining maintenance of their patrol vessels with 3D printed parts.

1 CSSB Fitter Lance Corporal Sean Barton was one of the 20 soldiers who signed on for training:

“This is a very exciting opportunity for me and very different from my regular trade as a Fitter,” Lance Corporal Barton said. “I am looking forward to getting my hands on the software, learning about the design process and being one of the first to learn how to use the technology – it’s pretty cool.”

Numerous governments are using 3D printing today and performing complex research which may allow 3D printing in remote areas, in challenging climates, and much more. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: SPEE3D]

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3D Systems Awarded Department of Defense Contract to Solve Navy Ship Corrosion Issues

Corrosion is inevitable when metal and other parts are exposed to the salt air—and especially routinely, as is the case for military ships and other hardware. The Department of Defense (DoD), in an attempt to battle the rigors of nature, has awarded a contract to 3D Systems for research and development in ‘Corrosion Performance Design Guide for Direct Metal Printing of Nickel Alloys.’

While 3D Systems is noted as a leader in the world of 3D solutions and workflow systems, the DoD chose them for the contract due to their capabilities in collecting data on corrosion and then developing new production via direct metal printing (DMP); in fact, 3D Systems technology and expertise are considered to be ideal for creating munitions as well as shipbuilding especially, due to excellent quality control of parts and low oxygen content.

During this contract, 3D Systems will also be partnering with Newport News Shipbuilding and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, along with University of Akron corrosion experts. The goal is to reduce maintenance costs in naval sea systems, and as experts in materials science, the team at 3D Systems has excellent knowledge of metals and how they corrode.

“We believe that post-processes for additively manufactured components can be designed to limit corrosion in a saltwater environment,” said Dr. Jared Blecher, principal, aerospace & defense engineering, 3D Systems.

“Through our research and development efforts, corrosion rates will be quantified for additively manufactured parts, so end users will have better data for deciding when parts should be inspected or replaced. Additionally, we’ll explore the value of heat treatment to help improve the mechanical properties of the part and mitigate corrosion and ultimately cost.”

As 3D Systems, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems work together to target nickel alloy corrosion difficulties in a list of 240 tests with four different surface finishes, 3D Systems will also be able to make sure that parameters and integrated software are used correctly during evaluation of the issues—mainly seen in naval sea system platforms and high-speed weapons.

The Corrosion Guide will explore how metal additive manufacturing can positively impact shipbuilding and munition fabrication. (Image courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries)

The researchers will also use a variety of heat treatments to evaluate the following:

Crevice
Stress corrosion cracking
Galavanic corrosion modes

They will also simulate:

Range of surface conditions
Elemental micro-segregation
Deleterious secondary phases found in deployed components

“There’s no question that the DoD’s need for rapid qualification and certification of additive manufacturing processes like DMP using metal materials like Nickel alloys is great. The creation of a performance design guide by 3D Systems and its project partners will be of tremendous value to the DoD,” said America Makes Executive Director John Wilczynski.

“With qualified empirical data on how to minimize saltwater corrosion of additive manufactured components used in weapon systems, defense supply chains can accelerate their adoption of additive technologies to manufacture these critical components.”

Recent studies have shown that corrosion issues are extremely expensive, costing the U.S. Navy over $8.5 billion a year. Because corrosion is only exaggerated due to traditional manufacturing methods which add stress and weakening, AM processes can offer a host of benefits, plus corrosion resistance. Once corrosion issues are out of the way, not only is there a tremendous savings for the budget, the military can avoid less maintenance time and less inspections.

“We’re excited to partner with 3D Systems on this important effort,” said Charles Southall, vice president of engineering and design for Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. “Last year, we collaborated to qualify metal additive manufacturing technologies to build naval warships, and installed 3D Systems’ DMP technology. We’re looking forward to expanding that work by developing design standards to help create more durable parts, and ultimately improve the quality of our armed forces’ fleet.”

3D Systems was selected during a competition headed by America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, and the Department of Defense. The program is a Directed Project Opportunity on Advanced Tools for Rapid Qualification (ATRQ), funded by the Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy Office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The DoD has had its hands in many 3D printing ventures over the years from government projects to help with 3D printing to research and development for materials, to the development of 3D printers.

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[Source / Images: press release]

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AFRL and University Partners Used 3D Printed Composite Materials to Make Structural Parts

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) near my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, has long been interested in using 3D printing and composite materials for the purposes of aerospace applications. Last year, AFRL’s Composites Branch at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate partnered up with researchers from the University of Arkansas, the University of Miami in Florida, Louisiana Tech University, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to work on advancing 3D printable composite materials.

The Composites Branch works on the research and development of organic and ceramic matrix composite technologies for legacy, developmental, and future Air Force system components. Together with its university partners, the AFRL branch demonstrated 3D printed composite materials, made from a combination of carbon fiber and epoxy, which had been successfully fabricated and used to make structural parts on both air and space craft. The results of this 3D printed composite material effort will soon be published in a special issue of the Journal of Experimental Mechanics that’s dedicated to the mechanics of 3D printed materials.

Dr. Jeffery Baur, leader of the Composite Performance Research Team, said, “The potential to quickly print high-strength composite parts and fixtures for the warfighter could be a tremendous asset both in the field and for accelerating weapon system development.”

Composite materials are made up of two, or sometimes more, constituent materials that have very different chemical or physical properties. When combined, these components produce a new material that has characteristics which are different from the originals. The individual components that make up the composite will remain distinctly separated within the final material structure.

When compared to the more low-quality polymers that are typically used in 3D printers, the composite materials demonstrated by AFRL and its partners are the same type that are already being used to make Air Force system components. These materials are very strong, while also lightweight, and have higher thermal and environmental durability than most.

Most traditional epoxy and carbon fiber composites are made by layering carbon fiber sheets, coated with epoxy resin, on top of each other. Then, the whole thing is cooked for hours in a costly pressure cooker to finish. The major downside to this method is that it’s more difficult to create parts that have complex shapes when sheets are being used.

This is where additive manufacturing comes in. Composite materials that are 3D printed are able to create parts with those complex shapes, and additionally don’t require the use of long heating cycles or expensive pressure cookers. On a materials level, there aren’t a whole lot of downsides to using composites for the purposes of producing, assembling, or repairing parts for the Air Force, whether at the depot or out in the field.

Military branches in other countries are also seeing the benefit of 3D printable composite materials. For example, engineers in India are manufacturing complex core structures using the composite 3D printing process; when combined with top and bottom face sheets, these structures will create lightweight sandwich structures that have properties tailored specifically to, as AFRL put it, “the physical forces that need to be carried.”

Conventionally fabricated sandwich structures use the same core geometries over the entire area of an aircraft skin, but a 3D printed version would be able to stand up under heavier forces when necessary, while also remaining lightweight in other parts of the skin.

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[Source: Dayton Daily News]

Air Force Research Laboratory Testing 3D Printed Parts for Motors

In ‘3D Printed Motor: In-House Seedling Effort: Experiential Training for Building and Experimentally Testing a Motor Using 3D Printed Elements,’ authors Kevin J. Yost and Maxwell Stelmack discuss what they learned in a two-month technical sprint with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), meant to teach 3D printing skills and present challenges that would allow them to go on to fabricate more complex items like motors—and more specifically the creating of, experimenting with, and testing of a Halbach array permanent magnet motor.

CAD File and Photo of 3D-Printed Permanent Magnet Motor

This military-funded project involved ‘high performing’ undergraduate students looking toward careers in science and engineering, assisted by mentors from the Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) under an AFRL partnership intermediary agreement (PIA)—offering strong support. Design and 3D printing methods were offered by makeSEA, allowing the authors great latitude in reaching their project goals, while only working part time. The project team also purchased CAD motor design files from makeSEA, but they required unexpected refinements including several ‘trials and tribulations and slight design changes’ that led to some substantial delays and complications eventually overcome.

Diagram of component hardware experimental testing setup

Other challenges and lessons within the project over eight weeks included experiential training and pioneering in a new area, along with the following exercises:

3D printing motor parts
Assembling machinery
Handling magnetic characterization of iron (Fe) filled prints
Designing and experimenting with a range of configurations and attributes
Developing a test bed for new material and design evaluation

“Designing and fabricating electric machines utilizing traditional electric machine methods is not simple. This is especially true when there is not a current role in AFRL to be a component supplier nor a specific project need which AFRL fills,” state the authors. “3D printing enables a quick and low-cost tool for AFRL to affordably build and assemble a motor. The project pioneers a new area for AFRL, not because AFRL will build the machines, but more to create technical acumen and readiness for evaluating and influencing external partners and their concepts.”

Complete stator assembly

Two magnets had to be created to complete assembly of the rotor, and project participants were left to figure out the proper distribution of magnet weight/mass and magnet field strength:

“For measuring the weight and mass of the permanent magnets, careful attention is needed to ensure the magnetic field does not interfere with the measurement system and that the magnet is in the same position for each measurement,” stated the authors.

They also had to configure a 3D printed jig around the hall effect sensor, wire and configure the armature conductor, windings, complex testing of filaments, and in the end, simulation and testing of components. Challenges did continue as they discovered iron fill print was not viable for required conductivity, ‘intuition’ failed in some areas, and the electromagnetic FEA setup needs to be more comprehensive.

“This project represented a mini seedling effort for ‘getting in the game’ of AM,” concluded the researchers. “Many lessons and hidden costs were learned at low cost prior to committing to larger projects. It is recommended to further this effort with a follow on seedling research effort to continue increasing readiness for electric machine innovation.”

“Areas recommended include (1) rapid prototyping, (2) AM of more relevant multifunctional materials employed, and (3) developing a test-bed for advanced materials in electric machines. The follow on effort should be sufficiently resourced to close the loop between design configurations and design of experiments, hardware testing results, and FEA.”

3D-printed jig around the hall effect sensor for standardizing magnet position

The Air Force is not the only division of the U.S. Armed Forces delving into 3D printing, and training soldiers in new techniques for fabrication of parts that can be used in remote areas for repair and maintenance and transfer of supplies. Many other divisions of the military are exploring further uses of this progressive technology, from underway replenishment for the Navy to Army soldiers 3D printing in the field, Marines producing replacement parts, and more. Find out more about how the U.S. Air Force is using 3D printing currently here. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts; join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: 3D Printed Motor: In-House Seedling Effort: Experiential Training for Building and Experimentally Testing a Motor Using 3D Printed Elements]

Army Research Groups Explore 3D Printing for Soldiers In the Field

The United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey serves as the main R&D group for the U.S. Army armament and munitions systems. There, personnel continue to specialize in material property innovation, along with developing advanced technology. It makes perfect sense that they would branch out into additive manufacturing processes and further study of materials that would fit in with needs for the military.

Currently, ARDEC houses 25 3D printers of varying types. Matthew Brauer, scientist for the Advanced Materials Branch of ARDEC, states that currently they are using everything from compact desktop machines in the $500 range to industrial size additive manufacturing equipment that costs over $500,000. The goal is for such processes to be available to soldiers in the field when they need to make parts right way, either as replacements or for general maintenance.

The hardware has to be reliable, streamlined and user-friendly, as well as safe and durable for what can be rigorous conditions. Any 3D printers used by the military must also comply with performance requirements, along with rigid regulations for storing and disposing of waste materials—and this can vary by country.

The Rize hybrid augmented deposition process offers multiple benefits to not only ARDEC but also the Advanced Materials & Technology Branch within ARDEC. Printing is performed through extrusion of thermoplastics and the jetting of inks.

“It’s easy to peel away supports from intricate geometries, and that provides a faster part in the soldier’s hand,” said Matthew Brauer, Scientist, Advanced Materials Branch of ARDEC.

James Zunino, Materials Engineer at ARDEC, also adds that less post-processing is highly desirable in areas where there simply isn’t enough water for exercises like post-processing in 3D printing.

On-demand parts and tools are produced affordably and quickly on the Rize One 3D printer. More importantly though, the parts are strong and durable for fabrication of parts like wheels for robotics and parts for military vehicles. The Rize case study offers the example of Humvee window knobs and handles that can break easily, making entering and exiting difficult. With the Rize One, engineers at ARDEC were able to make new handles, and at rapid speed—with the parts ready for immediate installation, saving hours of time from previous processes.

“A system can go down because of one missing part and something like 3D printing can get you back in the fight,” says Zunino. “That’s a huge benefit to the Army. If a handle is broken on purge pump or wheel is damaged on an EOD robot, you can print a new one.”

ARDEC is also using the Rize One for creating many specialized tools needed in the field, like special apparatus for opening 55-gallon drums, as well as other basic items like wrenches, created with modeling programs like SolidWorks. Weapons can also be repaired and maintained, along with the creation of parts as ARDEC engineers download files, customize them, and 3D print.

Nearly all divisions of the military, from the Army to the Marines to the Navy—along with famed aerospace organizations such as NASA—have been enjoying the benefits of 3D printing for decades, and they continue to use progressive technology to improve mission-critical applications for soldiers who are often in remote locations.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: Rize Case Study sent to 3DPrint.com]