Page 27 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2022 Online Magazine

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HECTIC ACTIVITY parts for Fennek vehicles. The Spanish Air Force
is moving away from traditional manufacturing
The France defence industry is benefiting from the use of tech- and aggressively pursuing 3D Printing to improve
nology as well. In 2019, the French army procured and integrated the quality of new parts and reduce parts lead
two Prodways industrial 3D printers, the ProMaker P1000, for use in times; among the additively manufactured parts
manufacturing high-performance plastic parts. The following year, that it has sourced include the leak control
the service partnered with HAVA3D, distributor and integrator of measuring tool for helicopter landing gear and
additive manufacturing solutions, to deploy one of the largest 3D a customized key for the helicopter’s main rotor.
printing military farms in Europe, for the purpose of part production.
Last year, Naval Group, which uses AM technologies extensively in its
operations, 3D printed a propeller composed of five 200 kg blades THE ASIAN SCENE
and fitted it to the Andromeda, a mine-hunting ship.
With border tensions with China unabating,
Project TAMPA is the UK Ministry of Defence’s response to the break- India is planning to use AM technologies to
throughs in AM technologies and its applications for the military. construct shelters for its forces along the Line
Companies that are selected to be a part of the project will produce of Actual Control (LAC). The structures have
3D printed metal parts for the use of the defence industry, over a been designed by the Indian Army’s Military
period of up to seven years. Engineering Services (MES), in collaboration with
additive construction (AC) startups, including
As part of its efforts to streamline patrol vessel maintenance, the those from the Indian Institutes of Technology
Royal Australian Navy is using SPEE3D’s supersonic 3D deposition (IIT) at Gandhinagar and Madras. Earlier this
technology for super-sized metal 3D printing. The service is using year, MES completed work on its first two 3D
the company’s WarpSPEE3D metal printer that is capable of print- printed houses to in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The
ing parts that weigh up to 40 kg at a speed of 100 grams a minute. houses, which were built to meet the growing
A standout feature of WarpSPEE3D is that it uses kinetic energy, accommodation needs of the Indian Armed
enabling it to be used to fabricate parts in the field. The British Army Forces, were 3D printed by Chennai-based con-
is also partnering with SPEE3D to evaluate the ability of WarpSPEE3D struction start-up Tvasta in just 30 days.
to additively manufacture metal parts in the field.
Elsewhere in the region, Singapore’s Defence
In October, the Royal Dutch Navy, UltiMaker and Covestro tested Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), Naval
the strength of a two kg plastic 3D printed part by successfully Group and its Singapore subsidiary Naval
lifting a 12-tonne armoured vehicle. In 2018, the Dutch Army set Group Far East signed a Memorandum of
up an Additive Manufacturing Center to fulfill the organization’s 3D Understanding (MOU) in June 2021 to jointly
printing needs and also tied up with DiManEx to print replacement explore new technologies such as additive man-
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 | 27