British multinational company Babcock International Group and UK-based materials testing and characterization company Plastometrex are taking part in Project TAMPA, a Ministry of Defence initiative focused on evaluating the use of additive manufacturing (AM) within the defence supply chain. The project is intended to address situations where key components may be difficult to source due to supply chain disruption, limited supplier availability, or part obsolescence.
“Project TAMPA is about more than advancing additive manufacturing, it’s about national resilience. The ability to securely share digital designs, manufacture parts where they are needed, and know with confidence that those parts will perform as expected is transformative for defence. PIP enables that confidence, reducing reliance on slow and destructive methods, and ensuring that the MOD can access the parts it needs, when it needs them,” said Dr Mike Coto, CCO at Plastometrex.
Roles and Technical Approach
Babcock will coordinate the production of laser powder bed fusion components and compare parts manufactured by multiple suppliers. The aim is to assess whether distributed manufacturing can produce interchangeable parts that are suitable for deployment in place of traditionally sourced components.
Plastometrex will provide its Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry (PIP) technology through the PLX-Benchtop system. PIP is a physics-based method that derives stress–strain curves from indentation test data using an inverse finite element analysis approach. Compared to destructive tensile testing, it offers faster, lower-cost and more detailed mechanical property evaluation. It can also be carried out directly on finished parts, or on very small samples measuring down to approximately 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.75 mm, allowing assessments at finer spatial resolution.
Within the project, this capability will be applied to examine variation within a single additive build, to compare properties between different builds, and to demonstrate equivalency with tensile testing across a range of alloys produced via laser powder bed fusion.
“We will develop solutions for complex parts across various platforms to ensure material availability, reduce obsolescence, and enhance the MOD’s defence capabilities. Our collaboration with Plastometrex is a terrific example of how innovation can accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing within the defence supply chain,” said Kate Robinson, Managing Director Through Life Equipment Support (TLES), Babcock.
Tackling Supply Chain Issues With 3D Printing
The goals of Project TAMPA align with a broader defense-sector shift toward strengthening domestic supply chains through AM. Similar concerns are being raised in the United States. Beehive Industries recently emphasized that expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity is critical for producing propulsion systems for uncrewed defense aircraft. CEO Paul Follin pointed to the Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III as a key mechanism that helps emerging suppliers scale production, secure access to critical materials, and transition from prototyping to full-rate manufacturing. He argued that modernizing the DPA—particularly to support AM and high-temperature material supply chains—is essential for sustaining long-term defense readiness and competitiveness.
This focus on securing strategic materials and establishing reliable production routes is also reflected in recent industry partnerships. Recently, metal 3D printer manufacturer Velo3D and Linde AMT finalized an agreement to create a fully U.S.-based supply chain for copper-nickel components used by the U.S. Navy under the Maritime Industrial Base Program. The collaboration pairs Linde AMT’s expanded powder production in Indiana with Velo3D’s Sapphire XC large-format printing systems to deliver corrosion-resistant components essential for naval operations.
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Featured image shows PLX-Benchtop In Use. Photo via Plastometrex.
