U.S. Army GVSC Taps Velo3D to Accelerate Additive Manufacturing for Ground Vehicles

U.S. defense weapon systemVelo3Dhas been designated as the first approved additive manufacturing provider supporting theU.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center’s (GVSC) effort to accelerate the integration of qualified AM capabilities within the Defense Industrial Base.

The selection expands an existing Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) between Velo3D and U.S. Army DEVCOM GVSC. Under this framework, both parties will collaborate on the engineering, production, and evaluation of additively manufactured components and assemblies intended to address supply chain limitations affecting ground vehicle platforms and other military systems.

Program Execution and Component Validation

After completing the required qualification steps in less than two weeks, Velo3D became the first industry participant approved within the program. The joint effort will focus on validating critical parts manufactured using the company’s Sapphire series metal AM platforms, including both standard and large-format configurations. Production will involve Aluminum CP1 and Inconel 718 materials.

Once testing and validation are finalized, the resulting additively manufactured components may be incorporated into theU.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command(TACOM) supply structure to support ongoing sustainment needs.

“Velo3D is humbly honored to support theU.S. Armyand be the first of an important cohort of industrial base partners facilitating GVSC’s rapid advancement of sustainment technologies at the speed of war – soldiers should expect nothing less from a company like ours,” said Dr. Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D. “Our Rapid Production Solution is a proven solution theDepartment of Warand the broader national security community increasingly rely on to accelerate the delivery of critical advanced technologies.”

Manufacturing Systems and Technical Characteristics

The Sapphire metal additive manufacturing systems used in the program are produced in the United States and can fabricate components measuring up to 600 mm in diameter and one meter in height, while maintaining consistency across multiple machines. The platforms rely on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology and include in-situ monitoring that tracks build conditions layer by layer.

Velo3D states that the equipment complies with Department of War cybersecurity standards and is designed for secure operation within military network environments.

Additive Manufacturing in Ground Vehicle Sustainment

Source: 3D Printing Industry