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3D Printed Guided Missiles are Now a Reality Thanks to Raytheon
Raytheon is a company that has been around for over 90 years, providing defense weaponry, missile guidance systems, and more to the United States Military. In fact, they are the largest producer in the world of guided missiles, so it would come as no surprise that they would be the ones to innovate the manufacturing process for these weapons.
3D printing is a technology that has rapidly been adopted into the world of manufacturing. It’s a cheaper, more efficient means of producing products, as well as a way in which companies can more rapidly prototype their various designs. Raytheon has been using and experimenting with the technology for years now, especially in the prototyping process. Now, however, the company says that they have 3D printed just about every component needed for a guided weapon. This includes the 3D printing of the rocket engines, the parts for the guidance and control systems, the fins on the missiles themselves, and more. Moreso, Jeremy Danforth, an engineer at Raytheon, says that the potential is there for missiles to be 3D printed on demand in the field, as needed.
Like many other high-tech firms, Raytheon has been looking more and more toward 3D printing as a means of fabricating products including the 3D printing of electronic circuits. They are currently in the process of developing a means to print out complex circuits as well as tiny microwave components which can be used in the production of the company’s Patriot air and missile defense system — a long-range, high-altitude, all-weather system that that can counter threats from tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and even aircraft/drones.
“When we print something, we have fewer piece parts, so your supply chain becomes simpler,†Leah Hull, additive manufacturing manager for Raytheon, said. “Your development cycles are shorter; you’re getting parts much faster. You can get a lot more complex with your design because [you can design] angles you can’t machine into metal.â€
Hull believes that someday the 3D printing of missiles will become a streamlined process that allows for soldiers to print and assemble missiles on the spot. While we are still a ways off from this becoming a reality, due to the fact that a more consistent production method will need to be developed in order to ensure safe, accurately performing weapons, Raytheon already has proven that it’s possible to 3D print these weapons.
“Before a warfighter can print a missile in the field,†Chris McCarroll, Raytheon director for the Raytheon University of Massachusetts Lowell Research Institute, explained, “you need [a] quality, controlled processes to fabricate all the component materials: the metallic strongbacks, and the plastic connectors, the semiconductors for processors, and the energetics and propulsion systems. The hard part is then making the connections between these components, as an example, the integrated control circuit that receives the command to light the fuse. At some relatively near-term point you may have to place chips down and interconnect them with printing. Or, in the future, maybe you’ll just print them."
Jeremy Danforth says that Raytheon is currently in the process of 3D printing “demos of many of the seeker components†for their missiles, and other companies have been 3D printing warheads. He says that, so far, his company has printed 80 percent of what would go into an entire working missile.
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Raytheon is a company that has been around for over 90 years, providing defense weaponry, missile guidance systems, and more to the United States Military. In fact, they are the largest producer in the world of guided missiles, so it would come as no surprise that they would be the ones to innovate the manufacturing process for these weapons.
3D printing is a technology that has rapidly been adopted into the world of manufacturing. It’s a cheaper, more efficient means of producing products, as well as a way in which companies can more rapidly prototype their various designs. Raytheon has been using and experimenting with the technology for years now, especially in the prototyping process. Now, however, the company says that they have 3D printed just about every component needed for a guided weapon. This includes the 3D printing of the rocket engines, the parts for the guidance and control systems, the fins on the missiles themselves, and more. Moreso, Jeremy Danforth, an engineer at Raytheon, says that the potential is there for missiles to be 3D printed on demand in the field, as needed.
Like many other high-tech firms, Raytheon has been looking more and more toward 3D printing as a means of fabricating products including the 3D printing of electronic circuits. They are currently in the process of developing a means to print out complex circuits as well as tiny microwave components which can be used in the production of the company’s Patriot air and missile defense system — a long-range, high-altitude, all-weather system that that can counter threats from tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and even aircraft/drones.
“When we print something, we have fewer piece parts, so your supply chain becomes simpler,†Leah Hull, additive manufacturing manager for Raytheon, said. “Your development cycles are shorter; you’re getting parts much faster. You can get a lot more complex with your design because [you can design] angles you can’t machine into metal.â€
Hull believes that someday the 3D printing of missiles will become a streamlined process that allows for soldiers to print and assemble missiles on the spot. While we are still a ways off from this becoming a reality, due to the fact that a more consistent production method will need to be developed in order to ensure safe, accurately performing weapons, Raytheon already has proven that it’s possible to 3D print these weapons.
“Before a warfighter can print a missile in the field,†Chris McCarroll, Raytheon director for the Raytheon University of Massachusetts Lowell Research Institute, explained, “you need [a] quality, controlled processes to fabricate all the component materials: the metallic strongbacks, and the plastic connectors, the semiconductors for processors, and the energetics and propulsion systems. The hard part is then making the connections between these components, as an example, the integrated control circuit that receives the command to light the fuse. At some relatively near-term point you may have to place chips down and interconnect them with printing. Or, in the future, maybe you’ll just print them."
Jeremy Danforth says that Raytheon is currently in the process of 3D printing “demos of many of the seeker components†for their missiles, and other companies have been 3D printing warheads. He says that, so far, his company has printed 80 percent of what would go into an entire working missile.
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