UK and US Army Collaborate Using 3D Printing

The UK and US army have recently collaborated in the use of 3D printing to improve battlefield capabilities, as part of what is known as Project Convergence. This is the US army’s project of experimentation with speed, range, and decision dominance through the use of technologies including additive manufacturing.

For this recent collaboration, the British Army were able to contribute towards the manufacture of replacement parts for the US army using a 3D printer. As British Army officer Maj. Alex Shand explained, this was the first time that this was possible. He described the functionality thus:

‘it shows how a multinational partner could potentially assist the U.S. military in making rapid equipment repairs on the battlefield.The increased flexibility could prove beneficial if a nearby unit lacked a 3D printer, for example, or if supply chain disruptions were preventing the timely delivery of missing parts’.

Soldiers as part of Project Convergence UK/US training. Photo credit: Army’s Future Command

In terms of the use of 3D printing itself, the technology has often been claimed to result in faster, more efficient results which are easily scalable; very useful in this army context. In a military purpose, the requirement is a mixture of high volume low readiness parts (such as prototypes) and some low-volume high-precision parts (such as specific parts for niche machinery or equipment). Therefore, 3D printing is a useful method to meet both aims in a cost-saving manner as production can be scaled up or down with relative ease. Furthermore, metal 3D printing is useful for the repair of broken or damaged parts- something essential for parts which are regularly under pressure due to use in combat.