ExOne Developing Portable 3D Printing Factory in Shipping Container for Department of Defense
February 16 2021 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
The ExOne Company (Nasdaq: XONE), the global leader in
industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting
technology, has been awarded a U.S. Department of Defense contract
to develop a fully operational, self-contained 3D printing
“factory” housed in a shipping container.
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ExOne has been awarded a U.S. Department
of Defense contract to develop a fully operational, self-contained
3D printing “factory” housed in a shipping container. Now under
development, the rugged 3D printing pod would be set up in a
standard shipping container to be deployed directly in the field.
(Photo: Business Wire)
Now under development, the rugged 3D printing factory pod would
be set up in a standard shipping container, up to 40 feet long, to
be deployed directly in the field, via land, sea or air, to
manufacture parts to support war theaters, disaster relief, or
other remote operations. ExOne’s 3D printers can produce parts in
more than 20 metal, ceramic or composite materials.
Awarded by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in August, the
$1.6 million contract will focus specifically on improving the
ruggedness of ExOne’s commercially available binder jet 3D printers
for a wide range of operating conditions while maintaining exacting
final part quality. Additionally, the project will aim to simplify
use of the technology in the field with software and training, so
the pod can be used with minimal technical knowledge.
“Binder jet 3D printing is a critical manufacturing technology
for military use because of its speed, flexibility of materials,
and ease of use,” said John Hartner, ExOne’s CEO. “We’re excited to
collaborate with the U.S. Department of Defense and other partners
to make our 3D printers more rugged for the military, which will
also benefit our other manufacturing customers. Most importantly,
we know that years from now, our technology will play an important
role in filling critical needs quickly.”
As part of the project, ExOne is developing a special
military-edition 3D printer that is capable of binder jet 3D
printing more than 20 metal, ceramic and other powder materials
into direct final products or tooling. The upgraded commercial 3D
printer will have a unique body style and other features that will
make it a rugged, military-grade product.
The Benefits of a Military 3D Printing Pod
By enabling a military team on-site to 3D print parts as needed,
the downtime in a crisis can be reduced from weeks or months to
only a few days or less, while also reducing military costs.
Ideally, military personnel would 3D print a digital file of a
broken or damaged part and have a finished product in less than 48
hours without conventional tooling in the self-contained pod. This
approach would save critical time (machined tooling to create parts
typically takes 4-6 weeks), while also reducing waste and the need
to carry expensive inventory in crisis zones.
A digital library of parts for 3D printing can be stored
electronically, as opposed to racks of spare parts in a storage
depot. When a digital file is not available for older parts, the
item can easily be 3D scanned and printed in the field. What’s
more, parts to solve unique problems in the field could also be
designed digitally and 3D printed as needed.
ExOne’s binder jet 3D printing transforms powdered materials —
metal, sand or ceramic — into highly dense and functional precision
parts at high speeds. An industrial printhead selectively deposits
a binder into a bed of powder particles creating a solid part one
thin layer at a time, similar to printing on sheets of paper. The
technology is viewed as a desirable and sustainable production
method, largely because of its high speed, low waste and cost, as
well as material flexibility. ExOne has qualified more than 20
metal, ceramic and composite materials for its patented binder
jetting process.
3D Printing Pod Project Partners
To speed development of the rugged 3D printing pod, ExOne will
collaborate with several partners with unique engineering expertise
on the project:
- Dynovas, Inc., based in Dover, DE, which specializes in
materials engineering, composites manufacturing, and DoD weapons
systems.
- Applied Composites – San Diego, a leading provider of complex
composite components, assemblies, engineering, and tooling to the
aerospace, defense, and space systems markets. AC-SD’s Reinforced
Additively Manufactured Compression Assisted Molding (RAMCAM)
system is an enabler to the current pod project.
About ExOne
ExOne is the pioneer and global leader in binder jet 3D printing
technology. Since 1995, we’ve been on a mission to deliver powerful
3D printers that solve the toughest problems and enable
world-changing innovations. Our 3D printing systems quickly
transform powder materials — including metals, ceramics, composites
and sand — into precision parts, metalcasting molds and cores, and
innovative tooling solutions. Industrial customers use our
technology to save time and money, reduce waste, improve their
manufacturing flexibility, and deliver designs and products that
were once impossible. As home to the world’s leading team of binder
jetting experts, ExOne also provides specialized 3D printing
services, including on-demand production of mission-critical parts,
as well as engineering and design consulting. Learn more about
ExOne at www.exone.com or on Twitter at @ExOneCo. We invite you to
join with us to #MakeMetalGreen™.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210216005357/en/
Media: Sarah Webster Chief Marketing Officer 724-516-2336
sarah.webster@exone.com
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