Supernova, a carve-out of Spanish 3D printer manufacturer BCN3D, has launched a new business unit focused on 3D printing military-grade energetic materials. These compounds, commonly used in propellants and explosives, can rapidly release stored energy through chemical reactions.
Called Supernova Defense & Space, the business unit will build a proprietary additive manufacturing ecosystem for energetic materials. This will support critical applications like the production of Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs), which power hypersonic platforms such as missiles and space launch vehicles.
Supernova claims that its Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) process is the first additive manufacturing technology proven to 3D print military-grade energetic materials such as APCP and RDX. This is thanks to VLM’s ability to process formulations possessing over 88% solid load.
The business unit’s long-term vision is to expand the boundaries of manufacturing technologies for the defense and space sectors.
“Supernova Defense & Space represents our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to manufacture,” commented Roger Antunez, Supernova’s Founder and CEO.
“By pioneering 3D printing of energetic materials, we’re not just advancing technology—we’re providing the tools to the engineers to innovate and reshape the future of defense and space industries.”
VLM unlocks high-viscosity 3D printing
Supernova became an independent company in February 2024 after carving out from BCN3D’s Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM) business unit.
VLM technology was introduced back in March 2022 and marked BCN3D’s entry into the 3D printing market.
The lithography-based process laminates layers of resin onto a transparent film. The build plate then rises to meet the laminated material, before it is cured by UV light. This process repeats layer by layer until the 3D printed object is complete.
A key advantage of VLM is its ability to 3D print resins that are up to 100 times more viscous than those used in conventional DLP, SLA, or MSLA processes. This unlocks the production of high-strength parts that possess up to triple the impact resistance and double the tear strength, thanks to longer oligomer chains of the resins.
Additionally, as increased safety restrictions emerge against conventional epoxy resins, more manufacturers could turn to the highly viscous resins processed by VLM.
Supernova introduces new Defense & Space business unit
Supernova Defense & Space seeks to overcome what it calls “limitations of traditional manufacturing processes” for energetic materials.
In particular, the company highlights the high level of geometric freedom offered by additive manufacturing. This reportedly overcomes the design constraints of methods like casting and extrusion. According to Supernova, engineers designing energetic materials have been seeking solutions to design limitations without compromising material performance for decades.
However, military-grade formulations, such as APCP (Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant) and RDX (Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine), possess solid loads exceeding 80%. Consequently, they cannot be processed by most 3D printing technologies.
VLM, on the other hand, can process formulations with over 88% solid loads, allowing it to unlock additive manufacturing for energetic material production.
In addition to greater design freedom, VLM 3D printing is also said to unlock high-energy density based on a superior solid load. Uniform particle dispersion also reportedly allows for the production of more homogeneous components. This removes air gaps and creates consistent chemical crosslinking between layers, with equivalent properties in X, Y, and Z directions.
Supernova’s 3D printing process is also said to facilitate rapid prototyping and accelerated development. On-demand and on-shore production is also enabled by VLM, overcoming constraints associated with insecure supply chains and reliance on foreign countries.
The new business unit aims to “enhance the technological superiority of the United States to continue strengthening national security and leading advancements in space exploration.”
Supernova has identified SRM production as a key application poised to benefit from VLM-3D printed materials. In particular, the company’s 3D printing process can reportedly create SRMs with customized thrust profiles and enhanced combustion. This is achieved by 3D printing intricate geometries within the SRMs channels.
Additionally, High-performance bullet grains can be produced with novel geometries which enable notable efficiency improvements through weight reductions and increased burn velocities. The detonation performance of explosives can also be optimized through VLM 3D printing, potentially unlocking new application-specific designs.
3D printing for space and defense applications
The design freedom and supply chain advantages offered by 3D printing have resulted in growing adoption within aerospace and defense applications.
Indeed, 3D printed SRMs are nothing new. Earlier this year, rocket engine manufacturer Ursa Major was contracted by the US Navy to design, 3D print and hot-fire test a prototype SRM for the Standard Missile (SM) program.
Through the project, Ursa Major is leveraging its additive manufacturing-powered Lynx technology to design a new generation of SRMs optimized for manufacturability and reliability.
It is hoped that new 3D printable designs will allow the US Department of Defense (DoD) to meet the high demand for SRMs, which is currently coupled with a shortage of domestic suppliers. Reshoring production through additive manufacturing would greatly benefit the American military, which is currently juggling the need to restock its inventories while supporting Ukraine’s ongoing war efforts.
Elsewhere, additive manufacturing service provider Sintavia was recently contracted by the DoD to develop 3D printed hypersonic propulsion components. Through the agreement, the company will validate the quality and operational processes needed to design and 3D print critical components needed to enable hypersonic flight.
This contract forms part of the DoD’s Growing Additive Manufacturing Maturity for Airbreathing Hypersonics (GAMMA-H). This initiative seeks to develop and formalize standard additive manufacturing processes that can be used across the industry for hypersonic production.
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Featured image shows the Supernova Defense & Space logo. Image via Supernova Defense & Space.
