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Victorian metal additive manufacturing company SPEE3D has been named as a winner of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology “Point of Need Challenge” in the United States.
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The challenge provides solutions to support forward-deployed forces in austere environments, with SPEE3D showcasing its Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing technology at a live exercise in the US Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory later this year.
Cold Spray reportedly has the ability to successfully 3D-print metal parts in sub-freezing environments equivalent in quality to the same parts printed, on the same technology in a shop or lab environment.
SPEE3D chief executive officer Byron Kennedy said the program will invest nearly $2.5 million, with industry partners contributing another $700,000 in cost share.
“Given our proven track record of working with the military in very hot and dry environments, we look forward to demonstrating our expeditionary manufacturing and repair capabilities in sub-freezing conditions,” he said.
“We are honoured to work with the OSD to showcase our patented Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing technology.”
Applications were accepted from more than 60 organisations, with only 11 teams making the final round, requiring a live presentation at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute in Pittsburgh.
Invited finalists were evaluated by a panel of 13 judges from the Military Services, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Innovation Unit, OSD ManTech, and Joint Staff.
A total of six projects from five Manufacturing Innovation Institutes were selected for approval. The projects covered three challenges: the Warfighter Medical, Health, and Nutrition Challenge; the Staying in the Fight Challenge; and the Cyber Challenge.
SPEE3D entered the Staying in the Fight Challenge and partnered with LIFT as their contracted MII. LIFT is a registered DoD MII headquartered in Detroit, overseen by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
