Additive production towards 2045 – Trends and implications for the Norwegian Armed Forces

Additive manufacturing or «3D printing» has throughout the past several decades developed into a technology with significant potential to impact industry and production chains. The term additive manufacturing (AM) is a more generic term for a group of techniques that largely produce objects incrementally through a layering technique based on three-dimensional digital blueprints. Many of the techniques have matured. The processes have evolved and been refined, while the characteristics of the products have become more consistent and predictable. The interaction (or convergence) between AM and other technology fields – including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and virtual and augmented reality – offers new possibilities within additive manufacturing looking ahead to 2045. New types of materials and processes developed through AM include the blending of certain metals, the production of organic and human tissue and organs, and AM production of carbon nanotubes. Some applications are dependent on additive manufacturing techniques to reap the gains of these new processes in future production. The defense industry leverages additive manufacturing techniques for production of certain components where the complexity can be integrated into AM design and production. Complex parts that would require some post-production or assembly using traditional manufacturing methods can often be produced more quickly and more cheaply with additive production techniques. Industry today uses AM in areas such as specialized component production and rapid prototyping. Significant gains can be realized through additive production if certain practical challenges are addressed, including certification procedures for AM produced components, techniques for reliable and predictable quality control, and new business models based on digital blueprints and file sharing for additive production. The Norwegian Armed Forces can leverage the benefits of additive production to (among other things) improve logistic solutions through the production of reserve parts either aboard ships or in the field. This would have operational effects through a reduced reliance on supply lines and an increased operational and tactical flexibility. The Armed Forces can increase efficiency and improve readiness through an ability to produce reserve parts using additive manufacturing. This report is based in part on a series of three anonymous questionnaires conducted during the spring of 2020. Participants were asked about the current uses of the technology and current research frontiers, prognosis towards 2045, and the challenges that hinder further development and adoption of AM within Norwegian industry. The preparation of this report included the answers from these questionnaires, combined with a review of written sources such as academic articles, official reports, news articles, and industry and think tank reports.