Market Trends of Military 3D and 4D Printing Industry
Airborne Segment Held Highest Shares in the Market
- The demand for lightweight components of airborne applications to reduce fuel and maintenance costs is generating the demand for this market in the airborne segment. The United States Air Force is currently using 3D-printed parts on C-5 Galaxy transport jets. The parts are used in various parts of the cabin and crew bunk areas of the plane, which include overhead panels, reading and emergency light covers, window reveals, and gasper panels.
- As the Air Force's additive manufacturing library of parts continues to grow, the cost benefits of additive manufacturing production may increase. Generally, the direct energy deposition process is extensively used in manufacturing military aircraft equipment and parts, as it can manufacture a range of small metallic components to complex parts in huge volumes.
- Moreover, in the coming years, the US Air Force plans to add 20 additional components to the aircraft, made from polymers and high-end metals, such as titanium. Such robust plans to install additive-manufactured components on aircraft are anticipated to generate demand for the segment in the future.
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North America is Anticipated to Register the Highest Growth During the Forecast Period
- The growth of the North American region is majorly due to the increasing investments by the United States into 3D and 4D technology. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) plans to rapidly adopt additive manufacturing. For this purpose, the DoD has found the Manufacturing USA network with more than 1,900 member organizations. Through this network, companies are investing in new programs to integrate 3D printing into the United States Army and United States Air Force manufacturing operations.
- For instance, under Phase 3 of the MAMLS project funded by Air Force Research (ARF), the prime focus is to reduce the cost and lead time, to fabricate replacement components for legacy aircraft. Similarly, in January 2022, the United States Army announced the purchase of WarpSPEE3D--the world's first large-format cold spray metal 3D printing technology, developed by Australian company SPEE3D.
- Such efforts by the government to integrate advanced technology manufacturing parts and components for reducing costs are anticipated to generate the highest demand from North America during the forecast period.
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