3D Systems Receives U.S. Air Force Rapid Innovation Fund Award

Officials at 3D Systems Corp. announce that the company's Paramount advanced manufacturing team has received a $2.95 million award to transition specially engineered materials and the company's Selective Laser Sintering technology to the production of various components in the F-35 and other weapons systems to improve affordability and sustainability.

The 2-year project will reduce cost within the manufacturing process and leverage the freedom of design inherent in 3D printing to minimize waste and validate direct manufacturing's repeatability and accuracy of aerospace parts.

3D Systems' Paramount team offers world-class AS9100C and ISO9001:2008 certified rapid product development and manufacturing. Paramount was chosen on competitive merit by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's scientific and technology experts after demonstrating the required technology and manufacturing readiness levels to transition into production.

"This contract represents our commitment to the research, development and commercialization of rapid manufacturing solutions for the aerospace and defense industries," says Jim Williams, managing director, Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing, in a release. "The success of this project will benefit all industries, particularly aerospace and motorsports applications, where high strength to weight, high temperature and electrically conductive thermoplastics are critical factors to the design and manufacturing process."