UK-based 3D printing SME Additive Manufacturing Options Ltd. (AMS) has introduced that it’s collaborating with the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Defence Gear Gross sales Authority (DESA).
By means of this partnership, the corporate will analysis the technical feasibility of recovering vital supplies from surplus Defence Belongings. This collaboration kinds the primary stage of a venture that the MOD hopes will improve information and management over present and future materials sourcing methods.
“AMS has tirelessly constructed momentum and experience inside the additive powder market, with a pointy deal with offering recycled feedstocks. This settlement represents the following part in our mission to commercialize recycled supplies inside the additive manufacturing feedstock market,” commented AMS Director and CEO Rob Higham.
“It stands as a crowning achievement in AMS’ historical past. Supporting the MoD in addressing vital mineral accessibility and functionality is an honor and a testomony to the efforts of all the AMS workforce.
The MoD and AMS’ partnership
Initially, this collaboration will focus on a complete functionality evaluation for the MoD. This evaluation will embrace trials referring to atomisation, additive manufacturing feasibility, and the exploration of future supplies.
Finally, in collaboration with an unnamed MoD provider, AMS is in search of to ship demonstrative geometry utilizing recycled feedstock. The following stage of this work will then deal with materials industrialization and qualification.
In response to AMS, this MoD contract signifies a major shift in the direction of the adoption of sustainable and resilient UK-centric provide chains. What’s extra, the corporate believes that this partnership highlights the alignment of its personal imaginative and prescient with that of main gamers inside the protection business.
Certainly, this venture will assist the MoD’s ongoing efforts to create a robust UK-based provide chain for the provision of important minerals, reminiscent of titanium, to the UK market. This initiative is marketed as championing a “high-value round economic system” strategy to the sourcing of feedstock.
“This modern technical feasibility examine, to be delivered by Additive Manufacturing Options Ltd., is one other assured step forwards on MoD’s sustainability and round economic system journey,” said the DESA’s Submarine Recycling, Sustainability & Innovation Programme Supervisor Thomas Powell.
“It’s a delight to have the ability to accomplice with Additive Manufacturing Options Ltd. and UK Strategic Command Defence Assist to advance the MoD’s understanding as as to if redundant and surplus Defence Belongings may be upcycled into new capabilities thereby decreasing prices, growing resiliency, maximizing operational availability and enabling MoD to capitalize on and exploit new and rising applied sciences for max operational benefit.”
Securing defense-related provide chains with additive manufacturing
That is in no way the primary time the MoD has leveraged additive manufacturing to safe provide chains. Again in 2022, the MoD launched “Challenge TAMPA,” which seeks to ascertain a multi-supplier framework with the potential to 3D print stronger and lighter metallic elements on the level of want.
With an preliminary funds of £5 million, this venture seeks to drive down navy tools and weaponry lead occasions, whereas enhancing the provision of difficult-to-source out of date elements. The venture sees a spread of suppliers contracted to 3D print stock, and make the ensuing fashions out there throughout the UK’s complete protection community.
Elsewhere, it was introduced earlier this yr that US primarily based authorities and business companies contractor Amentum had been awarded a $4.6 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract by the US Air Power (USAF) Safety Help and Cooperation Directorate.
This contract will see the corporate modernize the US navy’s provide chain and procurement by delivering business shopping for options for International Navy Gross sales (FMS) Prospects. Amentum will leverage its 3D scanning and additive manufacturing capabilities to modernize logistics programs, fight obsolescence, and ship price efficiencies to over 105 international accomplice corporations.
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