U.S. 3D printer manufacturer 3D Systems has been awarded a $7.65 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to advance its Large-format Metal 3D Printer Advanced Technology Demonstrator (GEN-IIDMP-1000). The two-year contract continues an existing program that began in 2023, aimed at developing AM capabilities for producing large, high-temperature metal structures suited to high-speed flight applications.
Work under this contract will take place at the company’s facilities in San Diego, California, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, with completion expected by September 27, 2027. The award extends 3D Systems’ ongoing collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense, which dates back to 2019 and focuses on advancing AM technologies.
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made thus far in our collaboration with the U.S. Air Force,” said Dr. Michael Shepard, vice president, aerospace & defense segment, 3D Systems. “We‘ve successfully demonstrated a number of innovative technologies under this program and it’s exciting to see those technologies mature both for this large-scale system as well as our commercially available printers.”
Air Force Expands AM Efforts
In July, Continuous Composites (CCI), a composite 3D printing technology developer, was awarded a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract from the U.S. Air Force to advance the development of high-performance composite materials using its proprietary Continuous Fiber 3D (CF3D) technology. The project is structured in two phases, aiming to demonstrate CF3D’s potential for aerospace applications.
In related developments, Elementum 3D, a developer of advanced metal materials and print parameters for additive manufacturing, was selected as an EWAAC awardee. The company will contribute its expertise in high-performance materials and AM processes to support projects aligned with the Air Force’s digital transformation and armament modernization goals. The company is known for its proprietary Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) technology, which enables printing of advanced materials previously unattainable with conventional methods.
Divergent Technologies, an AI-driven 3D manufacturing solutions provider, was also selected to participate in the EWAAC program. Divergent’s Adaptive Production System (DAPS) integrates AI-driven design, high-volume additive manufacturing, and robotic assembly to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation weapons systems.
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Featured image show 3D Systems SLS 300 ecosystem. Photo by Michael Petch.
