Concurrent Technologies Corporation, or CTC, has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to produce an innovative additive manufacturing, or AM, machine.
Under the $4.4 million contract — part two of an ongoing project — CTC aims to modernize AM equipment and broaden the production of longer parts for vital defense capabilities throughout the Department of Defense, the Johnstown, Pennsylvania-based company announced Wednesday.
Ed Sheehan Jr., president and CEO of CTC, said, “CTC is committed to advancing manufacturing capabilities and supporting the defense industry’s critical needs.”
“The technical work we are performing for this project includes elements of CTC’s full-service portfolio of AM capabilities including design, testing, post-processing, machining and qualification,” Sheehan Jr. added.
The current process of joining smaller AM parts to build large weapon capabilities has brought challenges such as inconsistent mechanical properties and limited design flexibility.
Throughout this second phase the contract, CTC will look to finalize the AM machine design, install the systems and print near- or full-height representative geometry to improve functionality.
Ken Sabo, senior director of manufacturing at CTC, said, “We are proud of AFRL’s continued trust in our ability to provide value on this important effort.”