Simulating the Seas to Make Additive Manufacturing Fleet-Ready

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, has partnered with GKN Aerospace to develop a novel capability that simulates shipboard motion for additive manufacturing. This innovative effort, which is funded by the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Technology Office (NAVSEA 05T), supports the U.S. Navy’s goal of resilient, on-demand logistics by enabling reliable 3D printing operations aboard naval vessels.

As defense operations become more distributed and expeditionary, the ability to produce mission-critical parts at sea is increasingly important. To meet this need, NAVSEA is deploying and integrating advanced manufacturing equipment and capabilities on ships through its Afloat Additive Manufacturing Program.

This specific collaboration between NAVSEA, APL, and GKN aims to address one of the unique challenges that printing aboard a moving ship presents — the constant motion caused by waves and maneuvering — by developing a motion-simulation platform that replicates the dynamic environment of a ship at sea.

Read the article here: www.jhuapl.edu/news/news-releases/260304-3d-printing-at-sea-motion-simulation