Congressman sees, touts innovation and change at Army's Benet Laboratories

By John B. Snyder, Watervliet Arsenal Public AffairsFebruary 25, 2015

Congressman sees, touts innovation and change at Army's Benet Laboratories
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Congressman sees, touts innovation and change at Army's Benet Laboratories
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Congressman sees, touts innovation and change at Army's Benet Laboratories
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Congressman sees, touts innovation and change at Army's Benet Laboratories
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Congressman sees, touts innovation and change at Army's Benet Laboratories
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Benet Labs' Joshua Root, left, explaining to Congressman Paul Tonko about how the use of composites have dramatically reduced the weight of weapons parts. Director of Benet Labs, Lee Bennett, right, helping to explain how composites have the potenti... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WATERVLIET ARSENAL, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2015) -- The Army's Benét Laboratories leveraged an opportunity here Monday to tout the current state of U.S. Army weapons research and design to Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY).

Tonko, who was selected earlier this month to serve on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, visited the Watervliet Arsenal in an effort to learn more about the Army's efforts in additive manufacturing.

"For us (United States) to compete effectively in what is truly a global race, we must invest more in science and technology," Tonko said. "After all, the art of discovery is in our DNA, it is a part of our pioneer spirit."

Benét Labs, which falls in Tonko's Congressional District, has since the 1980s been using additive manufacturing, such as StereoLithography, a forerunner to 3-D printing, in weapons research and design, said Timothy O'Connor, a Benét Labs engineering technician. Benét was one of the first, if not the first, in the Army to use a form of 3-D printing.

Lee Bennett, the director of Benét Labs, said that his research and design engineers use all aspects of additive manufacturing tools, from 3-D printing to StereoLithography to Laser-Engineered Net Shaping, to enhance existing capabilities.

"The value of Congressman Tonko visiting the Benét site is that at one location he was able to see how computer-aided designs are transformed into finished products for military and civilian applications," Bennett said. "Then when you add in the synergistic manufacturing development that is achieved by having Benét Labs collocated with the Watervliet Arsenal manufacturing center, Representative Tonko was able to see firsthand how responsive this site is to the needs of the Army."

Beyond the standard overview briefing that highlighted Benét's research and design work for legacy and future weapon systems, Tonko was shown some of the tools, such as three-dimensional modeling and laser scanning, that Benét engineers use for prototype development. These digital models are the starting point for 3-D printing.

Some of the benefits of 3-D printing are that at a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing Benét can verify fit, form, and function of complex assemblies, as well as produce prototype parts and actual hardware.

In addition to showcasing the capability of additive manufacturing tools found at Benét Labs, there was one other critical piece of information that the Benét workforce was compelled to state.

"The true value of what Benét Labs brings to the Army cannot be measured by the number or the type of machines and tools that we use," said Timothy Gedney, a Benét Labs mechanical engineer who briefed computer-aided design. "What we truly wanted to highlight is the value of our intangible qualities, such as experience, pride, and dedication to the mission, which are qualities that truly make our capabilities unique to Army research."

Before Tonko departed he said that he has been inspired by the great change and innovation that is going on at Benét Labs.

It is amazing to see how technology at Benét Labs is making our troops more survivable on the battlefield, as well as making life better for our troops by reducing the weight of weapon systems, Tonko said.

Benét Labs uses additive manufacturing technology to join materials when making objects from 3-D model data, usually by adding layer upon layer of materials, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies that removes material by way of a machining process such as cutting.

Laser-Engineered Net Shape (LENS) is another Benét Labs additive manufacturing capability that uses laser power and metal powder to repair or build solid metal components. Components can be fabricated or repaired directly from CAD data. Creating fully functional components as part of the design process may save hundreds of hours of design and manufacturing time because with the LENS process, there is no need to create a mold or casting pattern, as parts can be fabricated directly from the designers' CAD data.

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Watervliet Arsenal:

Benét Laboratories is a Department of the Army research, development and engineering facility located at the Watervliet Arsenal. It is a part of the Weapons & Software Engineering Center (WSEC), Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC), which is located at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.

-Benét Labs is located on the Watervliet Arsenal, within a five-minute walk from those who will manufacture the products that they design.

-The Watervliet Arsenal is an Army-owned-and-operated manufacturing facility and is the oldest, continuously operating arsenal in the United States, having begun operations during the War of 1812. It celebrated its 200th anniversary in July 2013.

Related Links:

Benet Labs Website

Watervliet Arsenal Flickr Page

Watervliet Arsenal Slideshare Page

Watervliet Arsenal Twitter Page

Benet Labs Facebook Page

Watervliet Arsenal Facebook Page