Aerospace part manufacturer Lockheed Martin recently added 16,000 square feet (1486 m2) of AM capabilities to its Grand Prairie, Texas facility. This expansion includes some of the largest format, multi-laser machines in Texas, as well as heat treatment and inspection equipment that enables rapid development and production of AM parts across the corporation.
“We continue to invest in AM technology to provide value for our customers in a way that empowers our engineers to innovate and rapidly integrate new product designs and capabilities to the production floor,” said Tom Carrubba, vice president of production operations at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This allows us to create affordable and modular designs that can simplify both high and low-volume production processes.”
The expansion leverages one of its existing machining hubs and supports the company’s customers’ immediate and future product needs while driving continued AM growth in the industry.
From product design and development to production, AM remains a key tenet of its digital and business transformation processes. AM supports the company’s 21st Century Security® solutions with benefits realized across the entire lifecycle of its products.
For example, in developing the multi-mission Mako™ hypersonic missile, engineers used AM to make guidance housing and tail fin parts. They demonstrated that these critical assemblies met requirements at a fraction of the cost – a staggering 1/10th – and reduced production time, making it 10 times faster and cheaper compared to conventional subtractive methods. In a customer space where agility, speed and affordability are king, AM is helping to move the needle, a press communication reads.
Moving forward, the company will continue to qualify more products for critical flight hardware and production.
Remember, you can post free-of-charge job opportunities in the AM Industry on 3D ADEPT Media or look for a job via our job board. Make sure to follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our weekly newsletter: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram! If you want to be featured in the next issue of our digital magazine or if you hear a story that needs to be heard, make sure to send it to contact@3dadept.com.