3DP 2014 - 3d Printing For Defense

A recent report from McKinsey Global Institute named 3D printing one of 12 disruptive technologies that will “transform life, business and the global economy” within the next decade. Unlike traditional manufacturing, which involves creating a smaller object from a larger source material, 3D printing and additive manufacturing take raw materials, feed them through a 3D printer and create a customized object from that material, eliminating excess material waste. The potential ability to exchange 3D printing design and manufacturing capabilities via file sharing has enormous potential ramifications for reducing shipping and production costs, slashing production-to-end-user cycle times, dramatically improving SWaP ratios, and significantly reducing the logistics footprint. The range of potential applications is limitless: spare parts, medical prosthetics, bioengineered human cells, armor and other force protective equipment, explosives, sensors, and perhaps eventually entire systems, containing printed circuitry, power storage and software.
This outstanding symposium gathers together the government and industry experts who are shaping the future of 3D printing and additive manufacturing for defense and government will examine the latest DoD and government plans for spurring the growth of these dynamic technologies.