U.S. defense weapon system Velo3D has been designated as the first approved additive manufacturing provider supporting the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center’s (GVSC) effort to accelerate the integration of qualified AM capabilities within the Defense Industrial Base.
The selection expands an existing Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) between Velo3D and U.S. Army DEVCOM GVSC. Under this framework, both parties will collaborate on the engineering, production, and evaluation of additively manufactured components and assemblies intended to address supply chain limitations affecting ground vehicle platforms and other military systems.
Program Execution and Component Validation
After completing the required qualification steps in less than two weeks, Velo3D became the first industry participant approved within the program. The joint effort will focus on validating critical parts manufactured using the company’s Sapphire series metal AM platforms, including both standard and large-format configurations. Production will involve Aluminum CP1 and Inconel 718 materials.
Once testing and validation are finalized, the resulting additively manufactured components may be incorporated into the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) supply structure to support ongoing sustainment needs.
“Velo3D is humbly honored to support the U.S. Army and be the first of an important cohort of industrial base partners facilitating GVSC’s rapid advancement of sustainment technologies at the speed of war – soldiers should expect nothing less from a company like ours,” said Dr. Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D. “Our Rapid Production Solution is a proven solution the Department of War and the broader national security community increasingly rely on to accelerate the delivery of critical advanced technologies.”
Manufacturing Systems and Technical Characteristics
The Sapphire metal additive manufacturing systems used in the program are produced in the United States and can fabricate components measuring up to 600 mm in diameter and one meter in height, while maintaining consistency across multiple machines. The platforms rely on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology and include in-situ monitoring that tracks build conditions layer by layer.
Velo3D states that the equipment complies with Department of War cybersecurity standards and is designed for secure operation within military network environments.
Additive Manufacturing in Ground Vehicle Sustainment
The U.S. Army is increasingly turning to additive manufacturing to tackle supply chain and sustainment challenges affecting ground combat platforms. Traditional procurement of legacy vehicle parts often faces long lead times, limited suppliers, and constrained foundry capacity. AM allows on-demand fabrication of replacement parts, reducing downtime, relieving supply chain bottlenecks, and maintaining operational readiness.
At RAPID + TCT 2025, it was noted that TACOM’s Battle Damage Repair and Fabrication Program (BDRF) has assessed over 40,000 vehicle components for AM suitability, producing more than 600 CAD models at Rock Island Arsenal to quickly restore damaged systems. Beyond part production, AM supports digital inventory management and expeditionary manufacturing, enabling the Army to prioritize components at risk of obsolescence or shortage. For instance, 3YOURMIND’s software identifies spare parts suitable for on-demand AM production for vehicles like the M113.
While additive manufacturing helps address some of the U.S. Army’s supply chain and sustainment challenges, it introduces its own technical and operational constraints. Production must adhere to strict performance, quality, and repeatability standards for mission-critical components, and only specific materials are currently qualified. AM systems also require secure digital infrastructure to comply with Department of War cybersecurity standards and ensure safe integration into military networks. Other limitations include workforce training, validation of AM designs, and the development of standardized workflows to reliably produce parts on demand without disrupting existing logistics.
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Featured image shows Rendering of a Sapphire 3D printer production facility. Image via VELO3D
