As part of the RIMPAC exercise, Trident Warrior focuses on testing new defense technologies.
SPEE3D announced the successful completion of Trident Warrior – the experimental portion of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise – at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, HI.
The company deployed its Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU), designed to serve as a complete mobile on-site additive manufacturing (AM) solution. The EMU printed 11 cast-like metal parts made from aluminum and stainless steel that were evaluated for their material properties and suitability for repairing and replacing defense equipment in a contested environment.
RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, and as part of the exercise, Trident Warrior is focused on testing cutting-edge technologies, including additive manufacturing. A team of engineers from the Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) printed cast-like metal replacement parts from EMU for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
The goal of implementing SPEE3D’s proprietary cold spray additive manufacturing was to prove that AM can help secure military supply chains by reducing the delivery time of critical parts to the required levels.
“SPEE3D is very excited to participate in RIMPAC, the largest demonstration of distributed advanced manufacturing ever conducted by the Department of Defense,” said Byron Kennedy, CEO of SPEE3D, in a press release. “Additive manufacturing in particular has been a key area of interest for the Department of Defense, and together we share the same goals of training the military and implementing additive manufacturing to print critical metal parts at the right time to support soldier modernization and readiness.”
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Radigan, Marine Innovation Unit member and government lead of the CAMRE team for Trident Warrior 24, explained: “CAMRE facilitates the introduction of the latest advanced manufacturing processes into operational environments and finds ways to unlock additional capabilities. SPEE3D worked side by side with our joint participants to further explore cold spray additive manufacturing and helped us discover best practices to apply its unique capabilities in expeditionary environments.”
According to SPEE3D, EMU combines the company’s metal 3D printer, XSPEE3D, with its SPEE3Dcell post-processing and testing unit. Together, these can produce cast-like metal parts in significantly less time than traditional methods. The system includes two 20-foot containers with twist-locks, a robust, mobile metal 3D printer capable of producing high-density metal parts from a range of materials, and a fully equipped post-processing workshop – including a heat treatment furnace, CNC three-axis mill, tooling and testing equipment. For mobility, EMU can be transported on a single platform by truck trailer, ship or aircraft.
RIMPAC and Trident Warrior involved approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, land forces from 14 countries, over 150 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel who trained and deployed in and around the Hawaiian Islands during the exercise.
