Velo3D partners with US Army to develop AM parts for combat vehicle supply chain
Velo3D, based in Fremont, California, USA, has entered into a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) to rapidly develop and qualify additively manufactured parts and assemblies, addressing critical supply chain challenges affecting ground combat vehicles and other military systems.
Once several prototype AM parts are successfully completed and qualified, the Velo3D AM alternatives will be available to the US Army to insert into the supply chain for mitigation of current challenges.
“We are excited for this collaboration between GVSC and Velo3D to identify solutions that will rapidly improve the resilience to the Army’s combat vehicle supply chain. The combination of GVSC’s expertise and long history of advancing vehicle technology for the US Army, with Velo3D’s proven capabilities as an industry leader in advanced additive manufacturing is sure to deliver the solutions the warfighter needs,” said Brandon Pender, Associate Director, GVSC Materials Engineering.
The CRADA leverages Velo3D’s Rapid Production Solution (RPS) to quickly prototype alternatives to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. Additionally, the agreement includes collaboration to explore several Velo3D qualified alloys for use in Velo3D’s Sapphire family of AM machines, including large-format needs. Velo3D’s RPS leverages its systems, expertise, and surge capacity solutions to enable scalable production of mission-critical parts that would reportedly significantly enable the Army’s efforts to reduce supply chain challenges.
“Velo3D is proud to be the first US-based industrial scale OEM with domestically developed Laser Powder-Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing technologies to additively manufacture alternatives for the US Army’s ground vehicle supply chains,” said Dr Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D. “Through our Rapid Production Solution, we are helping provide faster part delivery, enhanced reliability, and the surge capacity needed to meet evolving defence demands.”
All Velo3D Sapphire AM machines are assembled in the United States and capable of manufacturing parts up to 600mm in diameter and one metre in height with repeatability across its entire fleet of Velo3D Sapphire machines. This advancement significantly expands addressable applications, enabling larger part production while offering the many benefits of Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) technology, such as higher fidelity manufacturing and Velo3D’s layer-by-layer in-situ process monitoring.
Velo3D’s systems meet Department of Defense (DoD) cybersecurity standards and can connect securely to military networks, ensuring integrity and security for critical manufacturing operations.
This partnership represents Velo3D’s efforts to support the US Army’s maintenance modernisation and reduce repair delays that impact the Army’s combat vehicle fleet readiness.
