Ammunition ammunition will be printed on a 3D printer in the USA
The US is launching a pilot project to 3D print explosives and rocket fuel. Supernova Industries Corp has received a $2 million subcontract from the US Department of Defence to create military-grade energy materials.
Here's What We Know
Austin, Texas-based Supernova Industries Corp has received a $2 million contract from the American Centre for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI). The aim of the project is to produce explosives and solid rocket fuel using 3D printing.
The company's specialists have developed the Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) technology, which allows printing materials with high viscosity and complex shapes. They are already working with APCP fuel mixtures (based on ammonium perchlorate) and RDX explosives (hexogen).
According to Supernova, this method can overcome the limitations of traditional ammunition production, where explosives are pressed or poured into a case. 3D printing makes it possible to create both combat equipment and ammunition casings.
The company's founder, Roger Antunes, said the technology will be a breakthrough in additive manufacturing and could change the way military energetic materials are created.
Source: Supernova Industries Corp
