Cooperation between Velo3D and the U.S. Army aims to make metal 3D printing usable for military supply chains

Metal 3D printing is becoming increasingly important for military applications, especially when conventional supply chains are under pressure. Against this backdrop, Velo3D and the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center have entered into a cooperation agreement as part of a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement. The goal is to develop, qualify, and ultimately integrate additively manufactured metal components for ground-based military vehicles into existing supply structures more quickly.

The collaboration focuses on qualifying complex components and assemblies that have previously been produced using subtractive manufacturing. Especially for older vehicle platforms, long procurement times or discontinued components lead to significant delays in maintenance and repair. Additive manufacturing based on laser powder-bed fusion offers the possibility of producing spare parts flexibly and on demand, provided that materials and processes are sufficiently validated.

To this end, Velo3D is contributing its Rapid Production Solution, which is intended to enable prototyping and low-volume production within a short time frame. In parallel, the partners are evaluating several qualified metal alloys for use on the company’s Sapphire systems. These printers are designed for components up to 600 millimeters in diameter and around one meter in height, making them suitable for larger structural or functional parts as well.

“We are excited for this collaboration between GVSC and Velo3D to identify solutions that will rapidly improve the resilience to the Army’s combat vehicle supply chain. The combination of GVSC’s expertise and long history of advancing vehicle technology for the US. Army, with Velo3D’s proven capabilities as an industry leader in advanced additive manufacturing is sure to deliver the solutions the warfighter needs,” said Mr. Brandon Pender, Associate Director, GVSC Materials Engineering.

Another aspect of the cooperation concerns IT security. According to the company, Velo3D’s systems meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense and can be integrated into secured military networks. For the U.S. Army, this is a prerequisite for establishing additive manufacturing as a permanent component of its maintenance strategy.

“Velo3D is proud to be the first U.S.-based industrial scale OEM with domestically developed Laser Powder-Bed Fusion additive manufacturing technologies to additively manufacture alternatives for the U.S. Army’s ground vehicle supply chains,” said Dr. Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D. “Through our Rapid Production Solution, we are helping provide faster part delivery, enhanced reliability, and the surge capacity needed to meet evolving defense demands.”

The collaboration underscores that 3D printing in the military environment is increasingly being viewed as a pragmatic tool to enhance availability, responsiveness, and technical flexibility across the vehicle fleet.