Thermwood, Navy Sign Additive Manufacturing Partnership Agreement; Ken Susnjara Comments

Thermwood and the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East have entered into a two-year cooperative research-and-development agreement to mature the company’s large-scale additive manufacturing technology.

The company said Dec. 20 its three-dimensional printing machines are designed to  produce 3D-printed parts that are larger than needed and then trim the components to a final size through a near-net shape approach.

“We are excited to work with the FRC East and are confident that, working together, we can achieve significant advances and results,” said Ken Susnjara, Thermwood founder, CEO and chairman.

Thermwood-built LSAMs span up to 100 feet in length and combine printing and machining on a single machine with the use of dual gantries.

The company rolled out its portfolio of large-scale additive manufacturing systems in September 2016.