Mobile production of spare parts for military vehicles on the battlefield has long been touted as a solution for reducing battlefield logistics.

Thanks to 3D printing that possibility is now a reality, but Rheinmetall Landsysteme has taken it a step further with the launch of its Mobile Smart Factory (MSF), which delivers metal 3D printing and post-processing capabilities for the mobile production of spare parts for military vehicles. 

The MSF was recently presented at an event organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA). It consists of two 20-foot mobile shipping containers, one serving as an office container and the other as a production container. The office container houses an air-conditioned workstation and storage space, a polymer printer and a handheld scanner for quality control.

The production container is equipped with a Metrom P7000, a six-axis hybrid machine. This machine is not limited to wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology. An integrated CNC milling facility also enables on-site finishing and postprocessing.

Combined welding and CNC capability gives Battle Damage Repair personnel additional options for repairing and overhaul. The machine can produce components with a maximum size of 700 mm in diameter and 450 mm in height. All weldable wires and polymers can be used. The metal deposition rate is up to 600 cm3/h (cubic centimetres per hour). 

Rheinmetall says the Mobile Smart Factory's integration into the IRIS© platform is unique. The cloud-enabled IRIS platform enables the fully integrated operation of the IRISwork and IRISfleet software applications with the MSF, meeting IT security standards up to NATO Restricted.

IRISwork provides operators and maintenance personnel with access to technical documentation and spare parts catalogues, while IRISfleet is a fleet management tool that documents the installation of a specific printed part on a specific vehicle.

IRISfleet stores all relevant information about the printed part and keeps a digital product passport to ensure system security. IRIS technology also includes access to remote support from industry, engineers, and quality assurance. 

The collaborative multi-tenant IRIS platform enables the armed forces and defence industry to integrate partners into a secure network, providing rapidly deployable additive capabilities for the modern battlefield.