On March 22, 2022, a French-based company founded in 2020 specializing in 3D printingThe company Handddle, the production line, has equipped the French Air Force and Space Force with a new3D printingMicro workshop.
The smart workshop is located at the I3D workshop at Air Force Base 204 and includes several desktop FFF 3D printers from OEMs such as
Markforged
and
Ultimaker
. Engineers at the base will use the new print shop to manufacture small parts in-house, enabling quick turnaround from functional prototyping to spare parts production and low-volume production.
This is Handddle’s first collaboration with the defense sector, marking its entry into a new strategic market.
Handddle wrote: “The first phase has already started. The French Air Force and Space Force aim to ensure the suitability of this solution for deployment at air bases across France. The French Air Force and Space Force also plan to use the Smart Workshop for external service delivery. “
Additive Manufacturing in the I3D Workshop
The I3D workshop for the Air Force and Space Force in Mérignac, France, has been up and running for more than a year and is dedicated to 3D printing and allowing the Armed Forces to produce complex and classified parts that are not leaked.
The I3D workshop also helps improve the resiliency of the supply chain in the field, where troops and other personnel may need urgent components. Ultimately, it serves as a one-stop spares repository for defense parts that must be manufactured under stringent production conditions to meet certification requirements.
△Handddle’s versatile and scalable Smart Farm production line can accommodate a variety of third-party 3D printing systems
Unfortunately, engineers in the lab often encounter environmental issues that prevent the 3D printing process from qualifying, potentially leaving high-performance parts defective.
The Air Force Office of Innovation Management explained, “We had an issue with rising humidity in the I3D workshop from the beginning of the fall, which immediately halted production of TPU parts that are particularly sensitive to humidity. In addition, temperature differences can cause warpage.”
In order to solve these problems, Handddle proposed to deploy its own 3D printing production line in the I3D workshop.
Smart workshop renovation
The new smart workshop is designed to help the Air Force and Space Force stay safe and controllable, replacing the old additive manufacturing lab. It contains two modules: the production environment of the 3D printer and the storage environment of the filament.
In addition to providing optimal printing conditions for the machine, Smart Farm also protects the operator’s workspace with an automatic filtration system that captures and filters harmful emissions such as VOCs.
Handddle’s microfactory comes with a
software
App that provides full control of the printer fleet in real-time while providing traceable resource management and is ISO 9001 certified.
If successful at the I3D workshop, the Air Force and Space Force will also deploy 3D printing lines at more bases in France.
△ FFF 3D printer inside the workshop
Additive manufacturing in the military is nothing new, not just in prototyping and spare parts production. Just recently, the University of Maine (UMaine) 3D printed two new large vessels for the U.S. Marine Corps at the Center for Advanced Structures and Composites in Orono, one of the largest additively manufactured vessels ever built, It is designed as a logistics support vessel and will be field tested in the coming months.
(responsible editor: admin)
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