In the absence of detailed blueprints, it was the additive technology that helped the old typhoon take off. Compared with traditional manufacturing, additive manufacturing does not need molds, knives, fixtures and multiple processing procedures, but only needs a simple equipment to quickly and accurately "free manufacture" of various complicated and strange parts, which can be described as the "subversive" in the field of modern processing and manufacturing. In recent years, with the breakthrough of additive manufacturing technology, the world's military powers have focused on this important field. The us department of defense and the European defense agency have successively launched the "additive manufacturing roadmap" or carried out cutting-edge military application research, hoping to build additive manufacturing into a technological "giant" in the field of future battlefield combat equipment maintenance and support, and even become a new power engine for the development and reform of military equipment.
The era of "reproduction and remanufacturing" has arrived
Today, when it comes to military technological innovation, the first thing that comes to mind is disruptive technology. Disruptive technology refers to the advanced technology that creates a new path and has a disruptive effect on traditional or mainstream technology. It may be the "disruptor" of the victory or defeat result of the next high-tech war.
The biggest problem with traditional manufacturing that people take for granted is that it is "made of reduced materials". This manufacturing method, which was mature in the period of industrial revolution, must first find larger material objects, from the larger shape to prepare or modify, until by removing part of the material cut to the ideal shape. This "neither tight nor slow" manufacturing process often requires many attempts to get the right production model. At the same time, it takes a lot of time to make the tools to produce all kinds of complex parts. With the increasingly rapid pace of modern society, it has been unable to adapt to the development of equipment manufacturing requirements.
Nowadays, additive manufacturing technology that can realize "replication and remanufacturing" comes into being. Additive manufacturing is the process of adding a variety of materials layer by layer to form larger objects. With the advent of additive manufacturing technology, high-precision materials that would otherwise be difficult to replicate become "effortless" and can even be replicated in bulk. Additive manufacturing technology mainly establishes 3d data model through computer and relies on the accumulation of materials to form the 3d object materials. Especially with the development of computer software and hardware technology, the connotation and type of additive manufacturing are also changing constantly. At present, it mainly includes photocuring printing, selective laser printing, melting deposition printing and so on.
In theory, additive manufacturing is not only fast but almost omnipotent. As early as 2014, airbus claimed to have used additive manufacturing technology to complete the manufacturing of aircraft parts and fuselage structure. In recent years, with the optimization process, it is suitable for material varieties, increasing material manufacturing technology for increasing the production efficiency, precision and quality of products steadily improving, can produce all kinds of composite materials and even organs increased material manufacturing technology have emerged, in the economic life, industrial production and aerospace and other fields play an important role. At the same time, the world's military powers have invested heavily in research on additive manufacturing technology, which may form a unique technological highland in the field of future military equipment development.
Accelerating from the lab to the battlefield
In fact, additive manufacturing technology is not a new product in recent years, which has already served many fields such as national defense and military. Additive manufacturing technology, backed by darpa, was born on 3D systems' test bed in the 1980s and is now accelerating from the laboratory to the battlefield. In May 2012, the U.S. army deployed the rapid equipment deployment laboratory in Afghanistan, and for the first time realized the use of 3D printing technology in combat. Thanks to the excellent characteristics of additive manufacturing technology, the equipment maintenance and temporary improvement and upgrading problems encountered by the us army in Afghanistan, the rapid equipment deployment laboratory can develop upgraded components in a very short time, greatly improving the operational efficiency.
In additive manufacturing, the air force is at home. In order to realize the rapid production of aviation components, the us air force further explored the concrete methods of additive manufacturing in the fields of manufacturing small equipment and reducing assembly requirements. Take the jet pipe of the f-18 fighter jet as an example. The pipe made by the traditional process is composed of 16 parts, but if the additive manufacturing technology is used, the same pipe can be produced as a whole, which will greatly save the production cost and improve the product quality. Currently, the air force has used additive manufacturing technology to extend the life of components for old equipment, and will even change the way large air force equipment is produced and designed in the future.
The u. s. department of defense is determined to bring additive manufacturing technology to the battlefield. The U.S. defense department has released at the end of 2016 by the armed forces and the defense logistics agency involved with the increase of material manufacturing roadmap, mainly around the equipment maintenance support, there are three kinds of application deployment expedition and new system components procurement, from four aspects of design, material, process and value chain for the upgrade to add material manufacturing technology of the battlefield "participation" provides a framework. At present, the us department of defense has regarded additive manufacturing as an emerging technology of the "third offset strategy", and it is expected to become an important technical means of battlefield logistics support in the future.
Similarly, in April 2017, the European defense agency (esa) launched the additive manufacturing feasibility study and technology demonstration project, identifying additive manufacturing as one of the key technologies to enhance the competitiveness of European industry, and accelerating its deployment in key battlefields.
Bring brand-new change for equipment development
Additive manufacturing technology represents the general trend of the development of production mode and advanced manufacturing technology, making the product production gradually develop from large-scale manufacturing to customization, which can better meet the increasingly diversified realistic demands of modern society and modern war. In particular, the unique advantages of additive manufacturing technology, such as rapid mobility, sustainable support and low cost, will play an important role in future battlefield equipment maintenance, logistics support and other fields.
In addition to producing "cold" equipment and components, additive manufacturing technology will bring many unheard of new things to the battlefield in the future, according to the pentagon's additive manufacturing roadmap. For example, researchers in the United States have created living tissues and organs using additive manufacturing technology. A bio-laser printer developed by the U.S. naval research laboratory has been granted a patent and will play an important role in battlefield "common diseases" such as traumatic brain injury, burns and hearing damage.
Researchers are also using additive manufacturing to add electronic circuits or antennas to nontraditional surfaces to create sensors that bend or adhere to any surface, which could be a boon for the military Internet of things. More surprisingly, the army is developing a food printer that USES additive manufacturing technology to provide soldiers with a wide variety of food options to further enhance their combat capabilities.
Of course, in addition to acquiring all kinds of electronic devices, sensors, protective armor, medicine and food through additive manufacturing technology, the rapid development of military equipment in various fields of aerospace, ground and sea operations is still the due meaning of additive manufacturing towards military applications. Additive manufacturing will also greatly promote the development process of intelligent equipment and realize the integration development of equipment development organization and structure, especially the equipment parts manufacturing completed by various biological organizations, composite materials and other complex structures.
In the future, additive manufacturing technology will significantly improve the equipment manufacturing process and improve the battlefield adaptability of equipment, which will not only bring significant changes to equipment research and development, but also have a subversive impact on the war pattern and combat style.
