Naomi Cooper
Northrop Grumman is using a patented, robotic-based additive manufacturing technology to advance the development of high-temperature composites used in hypersonic and high-speed weapon manufacturing.
The Scalable Composite Robotic Additive Manufacturing Carbon/Carbon system employs 6-axis continuous fiber reinforcement to fabricate 3D-printed composite structures before undergoing a proprietary manufacturing process, Northrop said Thursday.
SCRAM works to reduce time spent on C/C manufacturing by up to 50 percent, enabling large-scale printing of continuous fiber composites.
“This manufacturing advancement will deliver capability to the field much faster than traditional methods, and ensures our warfighters have the latest technology and advanced weapons to counter both existing and future threats,” said Dan Olson, vice president and general manager of weapon systems at Northrop.
The defense contractor has multiple patents on the industrial robotic 3D printer.
