The UK military has received its first batch of 3D-printed components for naval and artillery systems, manufacturer Babcock announced.
For the delivery, Babcock produced components for the L118 Light Gun, the 4.5-inch gun mounted on the Type 23 frigate, and the torpedo launch systems for the UK’s Astute and Dreadnought-class submarines.
Kate Robinson, Babcock’s Managing Director Through Life Equipment Support, said the delivery “is a significant milestone for our customer, and by reaching this we can now move in the right direction to increase material availability across the sector.”
Charlotte Robinson, Team Leader for the UK Strategic Command Defence Support Innovation, added that the “collaboration with the other Project TAMPA suppliers and DE&S Delivery Teams, Babcock has demonstrated that Additive Manufacturing can play a key role in improving Defence part availability.”
Additive Manufacturing
In April 2023, the UK awarded the contract for Project TAMPA to Babcock and other contractors, including NP Aerospace, RBSL, Thales, and AMFG.
The initiative aims to enhance London’s capabilities in using additive manufacturing techniques and 3D printing to speed up the replacement of obsolete components.
The UK also seeks to reduce the maintenance and production costs of critical assets, including the British Army’s armored vehicle fleet of Titan and Trojan platforms.
By employing additive manufacturing, parts such as periscope components that are obsolete or required in limited quantities can now be produced in days instead of months, according to Babcock.
The company uses powder bed fusion and wire arc additive manufacturing processes to produce metallic components, meeting the UK fleets’ diverse material and geometric requirements.