G-Tac Defense/Industry is harnessing filaments from Spanish materials developer Recreus in its defence and industrial manufacturing operations.
The French 3D printing service provider began using Recreus’ Filaflex materials in 2021. Today, it relies on the ultra-flexible thermoplastic feedstocks to fabricate a wide range of goods, from drone parts and specialized military gear to factory safety equipment and robotic gripper components.
I spoke with Guillaume Mongour, G-Tac Defense/Industry’s Director, to learn why Recreus’ Filaflex filament is his go-to choice for mission-critical applications. “Recreus’ flexible filament worked so well I never looked elsewhere,” Mongour told me.
G-Tac Defense/Industry, also known by its domain name GTAC 3D, leverages Filaflex 82A, 70A, and 60A grades. The company is also trialing Filaflex Foamy material in workshop tests to develop new technical applications.
Mongour explained how Filaflex has elevated G-Tac Defense/Industry’s operations. Recreus’ filaments have cut prototyping costs by 75% and allow the company to manufacture parts that were previously impossible to produce. Filaflex meets the strict standards of the highly regulated industries G-Tac Defense/Industry serves, thanks to its food-safety certification and impressive mechanical performance, Mongour told me.
These capabilities allow G-Tac Defense/Industry to serve a wide range of clients, from global manufacturers like Nestlé Purina Petcare and Jacobs Douwe Egberts to specialized military equipment OEMs.
G-Tac Defense/Industry 3D printed factory safety components. Photos via G-Tac Defense/Industry.
Why did G-Tac Defense/Industry choose Filaflex?
Based in the French countryside west of Lyon, G-Tac Defense/Industry specializes in solving complex technical challenges. The company designs and manufactures specialized components and mechanical assemblies. It also offers training in manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, helping clients bring production in-house.
G-Tac Defense/Industry increasingly relies on Filaflex filaments to produce durable, high-precision components that meet unique customer requirements. Mongour’s company first adopted the flexible thermoplastic filaments out of necessity, after struggling to produce the mechanical system of a drone-based sniper calibration system. Early prototypes produced erratic data, caused by vibrations from the drone’s propellers. “We needed to integrate a part that could isolate the measurement module from those vibrations,” Mongour said.
Molding these precise, flexible prototype parts is an expensive and wasteful process. This led Mongour, a trained mechanical machinist, to consider additive manufacturing. His 3D printing filament supplier suggested Recreus’ flexible and semi-flexible materials for this demanding application. “I ordered a set of 750g filament spools for testing, and it worked. Filaflex met our needs, and I haven’t looked elsewhere since,” Mongour added.
Based in Elda, Spain, Recreus launched its Filaflex filament in 2013. Since then, the company has expanded its TPU portfolio to cover shore hardness levels from 60A to 95A. These materials stand out for their exceptional elasticity and flexibility, making them perfect for applications that require stretch, compression, or impact absorption. They also deliver strong geometric stability and consistency, enabling high-precision, accurate, and repeatable 3D printing.
Recreus’ flagship materials deliver industrial-grade performance at a competitive price. For example, Filaflex 82A offers an impressive 650% elongation at break, resists fuels and solvents, and is both non-toxic and skin-safe. Filaflex Foamy features unique dynamic foaming technology, allowing its 82A shore hardness to drop to 60A by adjusting 3D printing settings. It is designed for lightweight parts and can yield up to 40% more prints per spool.
Filaflex 3D printing bolsters battlefield performance
G-Tac Defense/Industry’s additive manufacturing services are meeting the growing demand for 3D printing in defense applications. The Loire-based company supports military personnel seeking to optimize their equipment, as well as private companies specializing in military gear and operational training.
Drones have emerged as a vital weapon on the modern battlefield. Although G-Tac Defense/Industry does not manufacture these devices, it does use Filaflex filament to 3D print drone accessories, such as the aforementioned sniper calibration system.
Mongour emphasized that Filaflex is the ideal material for these applications due to its excellent vibration absorption and lightweight properties. Indeed, weight can significantly impact the battery life of a drone, making it a vital concern for operators on the front lines. He also highlights Filaflex’s affordability, a compelling asset in defence manufacturing. “3D printing cuts prototype development costs by 75%,” he stated.
Recreus’ TPU filaments are also used to 3D print holographic sight protectors. These advanced aiming devices are mounted onto firearms and project a holographic reticle onto a viewing window. This allows soldiers to aim quickly and accurately, especially in close-quarters combat.
Holographic sights are expensive, costing up to $700 per unit. Therefore, protective sleeves are essential to prevent damage during transport or handling. G-Tac Defense/Industry 3D prints these sleeves using Filaflex 82A, creating lightweight protectors with thin walls and low-density infill. “We achieve enough elasticity to fit various models and brands while retaining excellent shock absorption and reasonable production costs,” explained Mongour.
Elsewhere, G-Tac Defense/Industry is using Filaflex materials to produce shoulder pads for large-caliber weapons, ergonomic grips, and handgun handles for sport shooters.
Although G-Tac Defense/Industry hasn’t yet secured contracts with armed forces clients, Mongour is actively working to expand the company’s presence in the defense market over the next three years. “We wanted to build a strong foundation in industry before moving into the more volatile defense sector,” he explained.
Enhancing factory safety with Recreus’ flexible TPU
Beyond defense applications, Recreus’ Filaflex filament has become a core part of G-Tac Defense/Industry’s production process for industrial manufacturing clients.
Pet care firm Nestlé Purina Petcare and global coffee and tea maker Jacobs Douwe Egberts trust G-Tac Defense/Industry to improve the safety of their personnel and the productivity of their machinery. “It’s exciting work that we carry out in close collaboration with their improvement technicians and engineers,” Mongour told me. For instance, his company has used Filaflex to 3D print custom suction cups that improve the efficiency of coffee production lines.
The 41-year-old executive also outlined a collaboration with a different food industry client that wanted to protect a narrow passage between two conveyors. This company has been using a self-adhesive foam that served as a strong visual deterrent, but offered no physical protection against impacts. The foam also quickly disintegrated after cleaning, creating a contamination risk that posed food safety and quality issues.
“That solution obviously didn’t satisfy him. So we offered to make custom protective parts for the area using Filaflex,” Mongour recalled. The part needed to meet the strict hygiene standards of food production. It had to be watertight to prevent bacterial and microbial growth, brightly colored for effective pedestrian hazard signaling, and capable of absorbing impact to reduce the risk of injury. It also had to be food-safe and resistant to the harsh disinfectants used during weekly sanitation.
Filaflex 82A met all the requirements in lab testing before G-Tac Defense/Industry fine-tuned the shock absorption by adjusting protection thickness, infill pattern, density, and wall thickness. After a six-month on-site trial with the first installed parts, the customer approved the 3D printed safety component. Today, Mongour’s company supplies custom protection pieces to clients each month, as new “hazard situations” are identified.
The future of 3D printing at G-Tac Defense/Industry
Mongour is bullish about the future of 3D printing in defense. He believes additive manufacturing will play an increasingly important role in adapting field equipment to specific missions and enhancing the R&D capabilities of individual regiments.
However, this increasing autonomy for military personnel “doesn’t mean our role as a solution provider and fabricator will disappear.” Mongour noted that the adoption of 3D printing in military circles is limited by time and mechanical expertise.
“In my view, creating reliable mechanical assemblies in military or civilian FabLabs requires designing specifically for 3D printing. That’s the biggest reason behind failed projects,” Mongour explained. “The second issue is the belief that everything can and should be made via 3D printing.” Instead, G-Tac Defense/Industry’s Director believes hybrid solutions often offer the best approach, with simple shapes made via machining and complex geometries with 3D printing.
“Unfortunately, 3D printer makers still push the same line: “3D printing is easy—just upload the STL and hit print!” But in reality, it’s not that simple, and many people give up as a result,” Mongour lamented. “If you don’t design parts yourself, you’re stuck with what others design—and that’s the biggest reason for abandoning the technology.”
Therefore, Mongour believes 3D printing should be considered a branch of general mechanical engineering. He is confident that such a shift will continue to see strong demand for G-Tac Defense/Industry services.
Recreus Filaflex filament will continue to play a key role in these operations. “I think usage will only increase, considering their recent innovations,” added Mongour. He highlighted Filaflex 60A, which was recently certified as food safe, opening up new opportunities for food industry clients. G-Tac Defense/Industry is also “very interested” in Filaflex Foamy, which is currently undergoing tests at the company’s workshop in Verrières-en-Forez.
“Recreus evolves—and that gives us ways to evolve too,” Mongour added. “It’s a mutually beneficial partnership we’d be foolish to pass up.”
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Featured image shows Recreus Filaflex Foamy and Filaflex 82A filament and 3D printed parts. Photo by 3D Printing Industry.
