ARDEC organization named best in 3-D printer development at conference

By Audra Calloway, Picatinny Arsenal Public AffairsJanuary 11, 2016

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PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- The Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal was honored on Nov. 18 for Best Development in 3-D Printing Equipment at an IDTechEx conference.

The award recognizes innovative achievement in 3-D printing equipment.

ARDEC, the Army Research Laboratory, and industry partner nScrypt, Inc., received the award for their collaboration to design and develop the SuperScrypt - nScrypt 3Dx Series, a 5-axis multi-function heterogeneous printer.

The new SuperScrypt 3-D printer expands upon the standard 3-D Series gantry system by adding two more axis and additional manufacturing capabilities.

The new printer is capable of mixing structures and electronics, which makes it a manufacturing platform in addition to a 3-D printer.

"This system is based off an nScrypt 3-D platform, which is usually a three axis system," explained Jim Zunino, materials engineer at ARDEC.

"So, for this one we added additional axes, plus additional tool heads and a change out tool head capability. So it can do additive, subtractive, scanning, and feature monitoring all in one system."

Most printers, like desktop printers, print back and forth on an X to Y axis, like a grid. 3-D printers also have an A to Z axis to add height.

Zunino said the new five-axis printer is the first system he knows of that has axis for linear and curved linear printing, as well as the tool switch outs.

"We built this system so that we could print on linear and curve linear surfaces," Zunino said. "The idea is that we could 3-D print a nose cone and be able to print the electronics right on it."

The system also allows users to "pick in place," which means that as an object is being 3-D printed, the operator can pick up an object, for instance an electronic component, and place integrate it onto the object being printed. This gives the printer the manufacturing capability.

"Often you can print a lot of electronic components, but they must be placed on the system and integrated in," Zunino said.

Utilizing the patented SmartPump™ technology, this system can print very low viscosity inks to extremely high viscosity pastes to allow the widest range of electronic materials to be printed. The 3-D printing portion of this tool features the finest print of any commercially available printer. nScrypt pen tips with orifice openings ranging from 12.5 microns to hundreds of microns are available, which makes it very precise.

The print head can also heat to over 400 Celsius in order to have more capability then most traditional 3-D printers. The high temperature lets engineers work with higher-grade plastics that are commonly used in Department of Defense applications.

Zunino primarily uses the system to fabricate printed electronics, energetics, munitions and power solutions.

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The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

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