The U.S. Army cut the ribbon on a new Additive Makerspace at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey on March 19, giving engineers at the DEVCOM Armaments Center access to more than 50 3D printers under one roof.
The facility is managed by the Analysis, Materials, and Prototyping Directorate, part of the Armaments Center’s Munitions Engineering Technical Center. It’s designed to let engineers design, prototype, and manufacture parts using a range of printing technologies and materials, including plastics, metals, ceramics, and composites. “The space is here for the Picatinny community to work on prototype design and manufacturing,” said Matthew Clemente, a mechanical engineer with AMPD. “It serves to add additive manufacturing capacity to the community’s projects.”
Thomas Fasano, Senior Scientific Technical Manager of AMPD, framed the facility in direct operational terms. “We know this space will be a valuable tool for Armaments Center engineers to utilize these technologies and expertise – so we can drive speed and innovation to the battlefield,” he said.
Picatinny’s new makerspace is part of a broader push across the military to bring 3D printing closer to the point of need. Similar facilities include the Maneuver Innovation Lab at Fort Moore, Georgia, and the Airborne Innovation Lab at Fort Bragg. The Army’s been printing everything from simple plastic buckles to complex metal vehicle components, reducing its dependence on traditional supply chains in contested logistics environments.
Engineers interested in using the facility can reach the team at usarmy.pica.devcom-ac.mesg.additive-makerspace@army.mil.
Source: army.mil
