American aerospace and defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin has expanded its additive manufacturing capabilities at its facility in Grand Prairie, Texas. The company has added 16,000-square-feet of “state-of-the-art AM space,” installing Nikon SLM Solutions L-PBF systems, heat treatment equipment, and inspection equipment.
According to Lockheed Martin, the company is using AM in the early phases of its new product designs as a technical risk reduction tool, a strategy that forms part of its 1LMX digital transformation initiative.
The defense company’s applications of its AM equipment are many and varied. For example, its engineers have used AM to make guidance housing and tail fin parts for the multi-mission Mako hypersonic missile that were 10 times faster and cheaper to make than conventionally made components.
Elsewhere, Lockheed has exploited AM technology on new and legacy programs such as 3D printing F-35 simulator cockpits and components on GMLRS. The company redesigned a GMLRS antenna assembly test unit, reducing the number of parts and shaving months off its production schedule.
“We continue to invest in AM technology to provide value for our customers in a way that empowers our engineers to innovate and rapidly integrate new product designs and capabilities to the production floor,” says Tom Carrubba, vice president of production operations at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This allows us to create affordable and modular designs that can simplify both high and low-volume production processes.”
