Revolutionizing Soldier Safety: General Lattice Harnesses 3D Printing for Next-Gen US Army Combat Helmets

Combat helmets, foundational components of battlefield armor, have been instrumental in protecting soldiers for centuries. However, despite their vital role, the fundamental design and material science behind these critical pieces of personal equipment have long been ripe for significant re-design and improvement. In a groundbreaking move towards enhancing soldier protection, the United States military has been harnessing the power of additive manufacturing to innovate and re-imagine various military tools and technologies. This transformative approach extends to the very forefront of soldier safety: the combat helmet.

In its latest additive manufacturing (AM) project, the U.S. Army has partnered with General Lattice, an American digital manufacturing software company. General Lattice is leveraging its specialized 3D printing expertise to drastically improve the impact absorption capabilities of combat helmets for the United States military. The innovative American startup was awarded a prestigious military contract specifically to develop a sophisticated predictive modeling toolset. This cutting-edge toolset will analyze vast amounts of real-world data, allowing for continuous optimization and enhancement of impact absorption technology integrated into the U.S. Army Combat Helmet. Research and development for this pivotal military project are currently well underway at General Lattice’s state-of-the-art facility located in Chicago, Illinois.

The Imperative for Advanced Combat Helmet Technology

The battlefield environment is unforgiving, and head injuries remain a significant threat to soldier well-being and operational effectiveness. Traditional combat helmets, while offering a basic level of protection, often rely on conventional foam materials that present inherent limitations. These materials can be bulky, contribute to helmet weight, and typically offer limited multi-impact protection. A single significant impact can compromise the foam’s integrity, reducing its effectiveness in subsequent scenarios. The goal is to mitigate severe head trauma, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can have devastating long-term consequences for service members. Therefore, the drive to develop superior, lighter, and more resilient protective solutions is not merely an upgrade but a necessity for modern warfare.

General Lattice’s Innovative Approach with 3D Printed Lattice Geometries

For this critical military project, General Lattice is set to utilize its proprietary advanced lattice geometries to engineer a 3D printed replacement for the traditional foam material currently used in existing combat helmets. Unlike conventional foams, General Lattice’s computational design methods allow for the creation of intricate, customizable internal structures that can be finely tuned for specific performance characteristics. These lattice structures represent a paradigm shift in material design, offering unprecedented control over density, stiffness, and most importantly, energy absorption pathways.

A cornerstone of General Lattice’s contract with the U.S. military is the development of a powerful predictive modeling toolset. This toolset is designed to analyze complex real-world impact data, simulating various scenarios that soldiers might encounter. By doing so, it enables the precise engineering of lattice padding features for future use, optimizing designs before physical prototypes are even printed. This capability allows the Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM-SC) to explore and validate various lattice configurations efficiently, accelerating the innovation cycle. To further enhance the protection of soldiers in the field and significantly improve the likelihood of survival after experiencing head impact, these novel 3D printed lattice materials will undergo rigorous real-world environment testing. This testing is crucial for validating that the materials meet and exceed the stringent performance requirements outlined by DEVCOM-SC.

Unlocking Potential: Additive Manufacturing and Its Advantages for Military Gear

Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, involves building three-dimensional objects layer by layer from a digital design. This technology has revolutionized numerous industries, offering unparalleled flexibility in design and production. For military applications, especially in the context of personal protective equipment like combat helmets, 3D printing provides a multitude of advantages over traditional manufacturing methods:

• Customization and Personalization: 3D printing allows for the creation of highly customized helmet liners that can be perfectly fitted to individual soldiers, enhancing comfort and maximizing protection. This personalized approach can significantly improve impact distribution and reduce pressure points.
• Complex Geometries: The ability to produce incredibly intricate and optimized lattice structures is virtually impossible with conventional manufacturing techniques. 3D printing enables the precise deposition of material in specific patterns designed for superior energy dissipation.
• Weight Reduction: By optimizing internal structures, 3D printed lattice materials can achieve equivalent or superior protective capabilities at a significantly lower weight compared to traditional foam. Lighter helmets reduce soldier fatigue and improve mobility.
• Superior Energy Absorption and Multi-Impact Performance: Lattice designs can be engineered to deform and recover in a controlled manner, effectively dissipating impact energy across a wider area and offering better protection against multiple impacts, unlike many conventional foams that may permanently deform after one strike.
• Rapid Prototyping and Iteration: 3D printing allows for quick turnaround times from design to physical prototype. This accelerates the research and development process, enabling faster testing, refinement, and deployment of improved designs.
• Material Innovation: Additive manufacturing is compatible with a growing range of advanced materials, opening doors for innovative composites that combine strength, flexibility, and impact resistance tailored specifically for military requirements.

Understanding Lattice Structures: The Science Behind Enhanced Protection

At the heart of General Lattice’s innovation are lattice structures. These are three-dimensional, repeating patterns of interconnected nodes and beams, often inspired by natural biological structures like bone or honeycomb. What makes them so effective for impact absorption is their unique mechanical response. When subjected to an impact, the interconnected beams and nodes can deform and collapse in a highly controlled and predictable manner. This controlled deformation allows the lattice to absorb and distribute kinetic energy across a larger volume, significantly reducing the localized force transmitted to the soldier’s head. Unlike solid materials or simple foams that compress and may bottom out, lattice structures can be designed to exhibit progressive stiffness, maintaining protective qualities even under high-energy impacts or successive blows, offering a robust solution for multi-impact scenarios.

Collaborative Efforts Driving Military Innovation

This ambitious military project is a testament to collaborative innovation, bringing together expertise from several companies. General Lattice is working alongside All Points Logistics LLC, an established engineering, software development, and technology firm with over two decades of experience collaborating with the military. All Points Logistics LLC brings invaluable insight into military operational requirements, systems integration, and program management, ensuring the developed solution aligns perfectly with the Army’s strategic goals and existing infrastructure. Additionally, the project benefits from the partnership with San Diego-based GoProto, Inc., a renowned rapid manufacturing company. GoProto’s expertise in advanced 3D printing and rapid prototyping will be crucial in transforming General Lattice’s digital designs into tangible, high-performance physical components for testing and eventual deployment. This synergistic collaboration combines computational design prowess, military operational knowledge, and advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver a truly revolutionary product.

The US Army’s Commitment to Soldier Readiness and Safety

The U.S. Army’s proactive engagement in projects like this underscores its unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest levels of safety and readiness for its personnel. By investing in cutting-edge technologies like additive manufacturing and partnering with innovative companies, the Army aims to provide its soldiers with the most advanced protective gear available. DEVCOM-SC’s involvement in defining rigorous performance standards and conducting extensive real-world testing ensures that any new technology not only meets but surpasses the demands of combat. This strategic embrace of innovation reflects a broader military modernization effort, recognizing that technological superiority and soldier well-being are inextricably linked to national security. The ultimate objective is to reduce injuries, enhance survivability, and maintain the operational effectiveness of soldiers in every theater of operation.

General Lattice offers comprehensive, full-cycle computational design and digital manufacturing solutions as a service, a capability that extends beyond this specific project. The predictive toolset, which will be the main outcome of General Lattice’s contract with the US military, is designed to be a versatile asset. It will empower DEVCOM-SC to continuously explore and optimize lattice padding features for a wide array of future applications. The inherent benefits offered by these advanced lattice materials, when compared to conventional materials used in protective gear, are substantial. These include an exceptionally high strength-to-weight ratio, which is crucial for reducing the burden on soldiers, coupled with excellent shock absorption and superior impact protection capabilities. By meticulously combining these advanced material properties, performance metrics, and innovative design considerations, General Lattice is poised to leverage its material innovation to profoundly improve the safety and protection of soldiers on the battlefield, setting a new standard for military personal protective equipment.

Beyond Helmets: Future Implications of Lattice Technology

The impact of General Lattice’s work extends far beyond just combat helmets. The predictive modeling toolset and the advanced lattice geometries developed for this project have immense potential for broader applications within the military and even in civilian sectors. This technology could be adapted for other protective gear such as body armor, enhancing critical protection while simultaneously reducing weight. Furthermore, it could revolutionize components in military vehicles, aircraft, and drones, contributing to lighter, more durable, and more energy-efficient designs. The principles of computational design for optimized energy absorption could also find applications in medical devices, prosthetics, and even high-performance sports equipment, showcasing the versatility and transformative power of this innovative approach.

Learn more about General Lattice’s 3D printing software HERE.

What do you think of General Lattice’s groundbreaking 3D printing contract with the US Army? We believe this represents a significant leap forward in soldier protection and military innovation. We’d love to hear your thoughts and insights on how additive manufacturing is shaping the future of defense technology. Let us know your perspective in a comment below or share your views on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly newsletter, ensuring you receive all the latest news and developments in 3D printing delivered straight to your inbox!

Cover Photo Credit: Unsplash/Jakob Owens