3D Printing Information Briefs, April 16, 2025: AM Award Winners, Chilly Spray, Drones, & Extra – 3DPrint.com

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 shifting on to some fascinating items of army AM information. Learn on for all the main points!

SME Declares AM Awards & AM Pitchfest Winners

2025 AM Pitchfest Winners (Picture: SME)

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 firms, people, and groups which have considerably impacted AM commercialization. First, the Digital Manufacturing Problem acknowledges the work of pupil groups who design, construct, and use infrastructure-level methods that deploy manufacturing options in renewable vitality, superior manufacturing, and sustainability. The staff from DuPont Handbook Excessive College received for its “Sustainable and Efficient Composite Repairs Utilizing Novel 3D Printed Patch Designs,” whereas the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute & Cornell College undergraduate staff received for a “Micro Photo voltaic-based Steam-Powered Desalination Plant.” The graduate staff from the College of Georgia received for “Fabrication of Wind Turbine Blade Strong Wastes for Excessive-Efficiency Composite Fibers.” Shifting on, the Aubin AM Case Examine Award, which acknowledges revolutionary AM use instances, was given to Dimensional Vitality and Oak Ridge Nationwide Laboratory (ORNL) for his or her “Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Carbide Reactor Assemblies.” The runner-up was the staff from Norsk Titanium and The Boeing Firm for “RPD® By The Numbers.”

The AM Startup Award is given to younger firms which have developed an AM software or expertise that makes use of a singular method or solves an present drawback. 3D Architech was the winner for its “Excessive-resolution Metallic Manufacturing for Vitality Effectivity,” and the 2 runners-up had been AMIS and Snowbird Applied sciences. The AM Pitchfest competitors is open to startups, educational spinoffs, and entrepreneurs that convey rising merchandise, expertise, and functions to the market. Solideon received for “Construct {Hardware} on the Pace of Software program,” and was given the prospect to exhibit at RAPID in a completely outfitted 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 staff or particular person for his or her excellent accomplishments, utilized in a industrial or industrial setting, that majorly affect the adoption of AM in any trade.

Our congratulations to all of the winners!

Phase3D Completes Air Pressure Chilly Spray Inspection System Deployment

Fringe Inspection™: Chilly Spray attaches to the robotic management arm and scans chilly spray deposits through the 3D printing course of.

Backed by $1.25 million from the Air Pressure 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 bettering 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 gentle expertise to reinforce 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 all the things by inspecting and dynamically adjusting the chilly spray course of. With a view to efficiently verify its effectiveness in enhancing QC for aerospace and army functions, Fringe Inspection: Chilly Spray was examined and validated in an operational setting on the College of Dayton Analysis Institute (UDRI) and Ellsworth Air Pressure Base.

“The profitable completion of this mission underscores the significance of real-time inspection in additive manufacturing. The deployment at Ellsworth AFB proves that structured gentle inspection is a game-changer for chilly spray functions,” stated Phase3D’s Founder and CEO Niall O’Dowd. “This expertise not solely ensures higher-quality repairs but additionally delivers vital price and time financial savings for the Air Pressure.”

This mission was performed below the STTR Section II Proposal F2-16465 – In-Situ Monitoring for Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing contract, and achieved a number of vital milestones. Phase3D is now increasing the functions of structured gentle inspection throughout AM and industrial restore sectors, and collaborating with the Division of Protection and personal trade companions to additional enhance chilly spray restore capabilities.

3D CAD Fashions & AM Bettering Military Floor Automobile Readiness

A newly produced Battle Broken Restore & Fabrication half made on the Superior Manufacturing Middle of Excellence contained in the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Expertise Middle. The BDR&F program permits 3D printing expertise to provide substitute elements shortly and get army automobiles again into the sphere quicker. Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Expertise Middle develops, manufactures and delivers readiness options via standard and superior manufacturing processes for the U.S. Military and Division of Protection methods globally. (Picture Credit score: Kendall Swank)

The Battle Harm Restore and Fabrication (BDRF) effort, led by the U.S. Military Tank-automotive Armaments Command (TACOM), is utilizing additive manufacturing to shortly change broken Military floor automobile elements, which decreases automobile down-time in formations and helps readiness. Through the use of 3D CAD fashions and 3D printers to make momentary replacements for elements which might be out of date or have lengthy lead occasions, the method helps to cut back the Military’s general logistics burden, and lengthen the lifespan of older platforms. For the previous yr, the U.S. Military DEVCOM Floor Automobile Methods Middle (GVSC)—with assist from Rock Island Arsenal’s Joint Manufacturing and Expertise Middle (RIA-JMTC)—has supported TACOM and its Built-in Logistics Help Middle (ILSC) via assessments of over 40,000 automobile 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 briefly to assist hold battle-worn automobiles operational for longer. Among the momentary substitute elements which have come out of the BDRF program have even been proven to outperform the originals in assessments, and had been submitted to this system supervisor for consideration as a extra everlasting secondary provide supply.

“Items are putting in these elements on automobiles 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 potential,” stated Michael Hansen, TACOM’s superior manufacturing lead.

3D Printed Kamikaze Drone Completes Flight on U.S. Military Check 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 Lady-Owned Small Enterprise, introduced that its 3D printed, turbojet-powered Hellhound S3 kamikaze drone accomplished its first demonstration flight through 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 check vary, which demonstrates its tactical proficiency in an operation setting. 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 in opposition to armored automobiles, 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 Stage 7, but additionally gave firm engineers an opportunity to collect vital suggestions from warfighters.

“Hellhound’s efficiency at AEWE 2025 highlighted a elementary actuality — pace 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 strains, 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 assessments of the Hellhound S3 over the approaching months, and plans to submit a proposal formally providing the usto U.S. Military’s Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program.

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