3D printing: the revolution of military operations
There’s no doubt that 3D printing is gaining traction across all industries today. The military is no exception, especially these days. We already know from several historical milestones that logistics and manufacturing processes can be a factor that can tip the imaginary scales of war to one side or the other. And it is innovative solutions in the form of additive manufacturing that can greatly influence this weight, as NATO is increasingly realising.
On 8 December, a workshop on this topic was held at the University of Defence under the title 3Dprinting: the revolution of military operations, with Fillamentum as the general partner. In addition to helping to organise the event, we also presented our materials that may be suitable for field use. In particular, high-performance filaments with very good chemical resistance, such as Fluorodur or Flexfill PEBA.
“Meetings at this level provide our armed forces with a unique opportunity to map the market and look for ideal partners. “Our meetings with the private sector will be intense in the coming weeks and months. We need to know ‘what already exists’, find ways to work together effectively and use the know-how of companies for our needs”, says General Robert Bielený, Director of the Logistics Section of the Ministry of Defence.
We are very pleased that the Czech Army is also open to innovative approaches to production, and is willing to start practicing the know-how that Fillamentum can pass on to it. After all, as CEO Josef Doleček says: “Given the circumstances, military budgets are inevitably growing, and we want to help ensure that these resources are used in a meaningful way. We are ready to transfer our knowledge and skills related to additive manufacturing to the Czech armed forces.”
Many thanks to the DefSec Innovation Hub, representatives from the University of Defence, the Ministry of Defence and the Czech Army, 3DWeiser and other partners who participated in this important event. We believe that this meeting and the networking of government, academia and the private sector will help the right parties in the fight against the enemy to make the road to that dream “peace” a little shorter.
