News & Insights
Edmond Scientific Partners with Rugged 3D
Alexandria, Virginia (February 2022) — Rugged 3D and Edmond Scientific are working together under the Army Research Office Scientific Services Program (SSP) to provide and expand ruggedized Additive Manufacturing (AM) capabilities through the Army and other services to support expeditionary logistics and maintenance requirements. These AM systems can range from developing large-scale pellet polymer 3D printers to ruggedized filament materials that are resistant to dirt, sand, or humidity.
Edmond Scientific Company (ESC) performs studies and analyses, technology assessments, and basic and applied research across 15 scientific domains. ESC provides Science and Technology (S&T) services and research portfolio management across the entire range of Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) activities. ESC also employs Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) processes to control workflow and to produce a quality end product that directly relates to customer requirements. For all but the most trivial programs, SE is a critical process that reduces program risk and improves customer satisfaction. ESC’s SE approach is a top-down, iterative process of requirements analysis, functional analysis and allocation, design synthesis and verification, and system analysis and control that is integrated through tooling with such program activities as program management, risk management, configuration management and quality assurance throughout the entire project life cycle.
ESC is able to support research efforts with variable or uncertain multi-year funding profiles by managing access to technical research staff. ESC provides highly specialized Subject Matter Expert (SME) services, independent consultant, and access to extramural researchers to support short-duration, highly focused research efforts, and we maintain active relationships with over two dozen universities and research institutions to bring to bear the best expertise in the shortest period of time.
Rugged 3D is an original manufacturer of forward-deployable 3D printers and offers engineering services to load its machines with ready-to-print files. Currently, Rugged 3D offers two lines of 3D printers, the Voyager Series and the Commuter Series. The Voyager Series is a heavy-duty machine capable of being dropped from a HUMVEE without damage and the Commuter Series is a lighter duty machine that is highly portable, especially as airline cargo. In under one minute, these machines can be mechanically secured using a pin-lock system and ready for shipment.
During a competition hosted by SOFWERX in 2020, Rugged 3D outperformed and won the Austere 3D Printer Assessment Event which led to contracts to build a new rapidly collapsible 3D printer to reduce the shipping footprint of 3D printers. This new 3D printer takes 85 seconds to assemble and uses proprietary power transfer systems that energize the tool head through its structural tubes. This essentially provides a “wireless” connection throughout the machine.
Additionally, Rugged 3D takes off-the-shelf welding systems and integrates them into ruggedized crates for ultra-portable operations. The welding systems can be paired with a Rugged 3D printer which is pre-loaded with replacement parts for the welder to create a deployable supply chain. Spool gun covers, fixturing tools, torch handles, and brass fitting protectors are just a few examples of the parts that come preloaded on the printer. This methodology can be applied to a variety of advanced manufacturing systems such as CO2 lasers, milling machines, and plasma tables to improve its sustainability in the field.
The strategic collaboration with Edmond Scientific Company and Rugged 3D will aid the US Government advance their in-field manufacturing capabilities in a variety of environments. This effort will provide easier access for warfighters to develop mission-specific technology.
For more information on using the Scientific Services Program to support RDT&E efforts, please contact arossp@edmondsci.com
For more information on Rugged 3D, please contact info@rugged3d.com or visit https://rugged3d.com/